Love That Strawberry!
by GravityNeko
Summary: AU. Sequel to "We're Having a Baby". What happens when the daughter of Eiri Yuki (novelist) and Shuichi Shindou (J-pop star) grows up and becomes a teenger? She gives her parents hell of course! WARNING: Adult language and sexual suggestion. (COMPLETED)
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hey! First all I'd like to thank you for taking your time to read this. It is my sequel to "We're Having a Baby". Hope you enjoy it! **

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**Prologue **

She was the apple of their eye; a little girl full of warmth and sunshine. Sugar and spice and everything nice, just like little girls should be. Shuichi smiled as he watched his daughter, Ichigo sitting on her tou-san's lap while he typed.

_Why is it that he's more lenient with Ichigo than he EVER was with me? _

"Baka... Are you just going to stand there, watching all goggle-eyed?"

The vocalist started. "So when did you know I was here...?"

"Ten minutes ago..." His fingers continued to peck at the keys.

The pink-haired man smiled.

"Here, come take her since your home..." **Tap, tap, tap.**

"She hasn't been any trouble has she, Yuki?"

"Not much, no." He stopped typing and turned to his lover. "I'm telling you, my editor loves her. I told her if she loved her so much she could have her." "Yuki!" "I was only kidding... This is my kid...." He put a callused hand to the strawberry-blonde head. "I always said she had my looks..." "Just as long as the beautiful thing doesn't have your attitude... We all know how I feel about that."

Ichigo didn't pay attention to either of them, she was too fixated with ruining her tou-san's novel. Shuichi snickered. "What!?" Yuki looked perplexed. "I hope your readers like strange cryptic words..." "Huh?" He gestured towards the laptop. The novelist turned and looked in horror at the gibberish filling the screen. "Ahhh..." He growled. Their daughter looked up startled. "Ichigo," He picked her off his lap. "Why don't you go get a snack with okaa-chan, okay?" The four year old put a thumb in her mouth. "Kay!" "Come here, Ichigo...." Her okaa-chan murmured and crouched down to receive his little girl. "Okaa-chan!" The strawberry-blonde squealed, throwing herself into Shuichi's embrace.

"Let's go find you a yummy snack, kay, Ichi..."

She nodded, thumb still in her mouth.

"And no pocky sticks like last time..." Yuki said stonily.

"Yuuukiii..."

"I said, no! The kid was bouncing off the wall, she was so hyper. No sugar, Shuichi!"

"As you wish, Yuki-sama....." He bowed mockingly, Ichigo in his arms.

Shuichi walked through the apartment and entered the kitchen, searching for something suitable and nutritious for their daughter to eat. "Let's see what we have. Kay, Ichi-honey?" "Kay?"

After much searching, he finally found some shortbread cookies. Not exactly healthy but a snack nonetheless. Since when did he listen to Yuki anyway; this was his kid too. He opened the box and gave her cookie. "Here you go, Ichi-honey..." "Tank ooo, Okaa-chan..." She murmured, cramming the delectable treat in her mouth.

Shuichi smiled at their daughter, sitting down at one of the kitchen chairs. He watched her devour the treat. His thoughts drifted back to the day he learned he'd conceived her; it had been a mystery. Then the proudest and most happiest day of the young rock star's life... Ichigo's birth. His daughter was joy to his life; a bright light he hoped would never diminish...

Still... He shuddered when he thought about her teenage years..

"May you always stay as sweet as you are, Ichi-honey...."

* * *

**Words to Know**

**Tou-san: father**

**Okaa-chan: little mommy**

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**Next Chapter: Sweet Sixteen Part I **

**A/N: Well...Liking it so far? Wanna see what our dear Ichi is like as a teenager? If so, you know what to do! Review onegai! **


	2. Sweet Sixteen Part I

**A/N: I'm so glad you're enjoying the Strawberry Series! Please try to be patient! Now on to the first chapter of "Love That Strawberry!".

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**Chapter I**

"Ichi!" a voice hollered, coming closer.

Ichigo Uesugi turned to witness her friends Keiko Morino, long raven hair and Nene Nabaoe, short raven hair, rushing towards her. "Hey, girls! What's shaking!?" "Besides the ground once your okaa-san's farewell concert gets down!" They all screamed. Ichigo was as much part of this fangirl clique as the rest of her friends. She was always blown away by one of her okaa-san's performances. Though she knew the truth; deep down inside her okaa-san (though he lacked his pink hair now) was still a rambunctious ball of energy to this day. "Guys, really... How many times have I told you. He's like a normal person." "That's SO not true." Nene scoffed. "Shuichi Shindou is a J-pop legend."

"Yeah, he's the greatest next to the legendary Ryuichi Sakuma..." Keiko had moons and stars in her eyes.

"He's just a...." She shook her head, golden locks bouncing. "Ah, never mind."

"So, is this concert REALLY your present?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "It was all ready scheduled as a farewell concert. But I don't care..." She grinned. "I hear there's gonna be a special birthday surprise."

"Oooh, what?" Nene asked excitedly.

"Duh, Nene!" Keiko rapped the other girl's head. "That's why it's a surprise..."

"Oh, right!"

"This is SO great! What better way for three best friends to spend our best friend's sixteenth birthday by attending a concert."

"Getting her best friends Sakuma-sans's autograph?" Keiko intervened with a giggle.

Nene laughed. "Keiko, you're impossible!"

"Oh, come now, Nene!" The long-haired girl cajoled. "Don't tell me you wouldn't DIE for Sakuma-san's autogaph?"

"Autograph no..."

Gasp.

"His body is another story.."

Ichigo pushed her with another gasp. "Nene! I had no idea...."

"Yeah, right... I've seen how YOU ogle him." A laugh.

"Get out!" The blonde pushed her friend harder. "Do you even KNOW how old Saukma-san is?"

"Mmm. Love knows NO AGE!"

"I'm talking to myself..."

"How old is he, Ichi?"

"Older than my okaa-san and tou-san."

Blank looks.

"I think he was thirty when he met okaa-san." She calculated. "So he's at least gotta be 45 by now. WAY too old for you, Nene."

Nene pouted. "Can't you let me have my dreams?"

"No, you'll only upset yourself."

"Ichigo!"

"Promise me when you meet Sakuma-san you won't through yourself at his feet or any junk like that?"

"Hey, Ichigo?" Keiko started.

"Yeah?"

"Is it true that he's been going out with the brother of Eiri Yuki for these last ten years?"

"Wha-?" Nene looked astounded.

"You didn't know?"

Nene looked to Ichi with pleading eyes.

"Yeah. Uncle Tatsuha even brough Ryu-kun over..."

"Ryu-kun!" They both screamed.

"Since when do you know Ryuichi "the GOD" Sakuma?"

"Huh? I never told you guys.."

Furious shakes of the head.

"Must've slipped my mind."

"HOW CAN SOMETHING LIKE THAT SLIP YOUR MIND?!"

Ichigo flinched at her two friends reactions. "Well, uh..."

"You've touched him haven't you!"

"Huh?"

"Shaken his hand?"

"Well, yeah, I guess so..." Keiko grapsed her hand and looked to Nene with stars in her eyes. "The hand that shook Sakuma-san's!"

"Guys!"

"You do realize my okaa-san and he are good friends..."

She thought this would calm it down. Truth is it only made it worse. "Good friends? How much GOOD friends?" Nene asked. "Like this?" Keiko crossed her fingers. "Yeah....I'd say like that..." OH GEAT KAMI-SAMA!" They began jumping up and down and squealing. "Wow! That SO rocks!" Her firneds exchanged consipriotorail glances. "You're not gonna let this go, are you?" "For keeping something like this from your _bestfriendsi_? No way!" They stressed "bestfriends". She groaned and covered her head with her shopping bag, starting to run away.

"ICHI!" They shouted after her. "COME BACK HERE!"

Ichi ran and ran, laughing all the way. She spotted a bookstore and dashed into it. Thinking quickly, she spotted a HUGE stack of her tou-san's books and hid behind them. A girl who was cracking open one of his latest novels looked at her with a slight smile. "You okay?" Huff, huff. "Yeah. It's a good thing tou-san's books are so popular..." Whoops. She clapped her hand over her mouth, praying the girl hadn't heard. "You know THE Eiri Yuki? I mean, of course you would! You just said he was your father, right?" She chattered. "What are you some illegitimate offspring? How exciting!"

The blonde eyed the other skeptically. Where had this girl been for the past fifteen years? "Umm.." "There you are, Ichi!" Nene's voice chimed in. "Gotcha! Thought we wouldn't think to look behind this stack? Eiri Yuki's novels might be good...." "Might be good?" Ichigo scoffed. "Tou-san's novels are the coolest!" She propped her hands on her hips. "He can wipe the floor with any other novelist." Her attitude was a haughty stuck up frigid one. An Eiri Yuki attitude. "So you ARE his child! Do you think-?" She held the book out. "Sorry." Ichi held a hand out. "Wait for the signing..." She walked off. "Ichigo, don't you think that was rather cold?" "No." She took on Yuki's attitude full blast. "Tou-san has signings for a reason. I can't let every Mariko, Mizuho, and Kaede take advantage of me!"

"You, Ichigo... We don't take advantage of you. We like you as a friend."

"I know."

That was thing about Ichigo Uesugi; she could either be sugar like her okaa-san or vinegar like her tou-san. "We're sorry." "No, it's okay. I should be sorry..." She laughed. "Hey, my birthday's almost here!" "Yeah!" "Let's go walk my okaa-san home from the studio, kay?" "Cool!"

* * *

Ichigo and her friends approached the tall building of N-G pro and walked in through the front door. "Walk like you own the place. I almost do.." She laughed at this. The man at the front desk stopped her. "Yes, miss." "Ichigo Shindou to see Shindou-san." He smiled. "Ah, yes. Ichigo-san. Go right up! Almost didn't recognize you!" "That's okay, sir." She walked head up and tall and straight like a soldier. She walked likeshe OWNED N-G pro. Keiko and Nene followed her lead. "That was awesome!" "Oh, that was nothing..." Ichigo grinned wide. "Watch how I deal with K-san?" "Who?" They asked as the doors closed.

When they finally made it to the correct floor. She could here her okaa-sans' new song coming in loud a clear. "Hmm pretty. Good. I like." "Like what?" Nene asked. "Don't you here that?" She shook her head. The blonde flung her arm wide and smiled. "It's the sound of greatness!" Her friends strained to hear. "Here we go! Studio two..." She reached her hands in her jacket as she placed a hand on the door handle. Grinning she flung it open and yelled, "This is a hold up!" In her best Yuki voice she could muster, hoping to throw the crazy gun-toting American off guard.

She did no such thing however.

Ichigo DID succeed in half scaring her poor okaa-san half to death as he screamed, ducking behind Fujisaki-san, "Don't hurt me!" Nakano-san flinched while the keyboardist remained stoic. "Hello, Ichigo-san." He said taking his fingers off the keys. "What a pleasant surprise." She found the nutcase American grinning. "Nice try, Ichigo-san. But not good enough." "Damn you..." "Ichi!" Shuichi scolded, getting up from the ground with the aid of Hiro. "That's all right, Shuichi..." "Smug bastard..." ICHI!" the singer's eyes practically popped out of his head as he through a hand through his now-black hair.

"Me thinks the lady doth protest too much."

"Me thinks the manage should stop the stupid lines..." She glared at him. For some reason she had **never ever **gotten along with K-san.

"Touche, young lady. Touche."

She rolled her eyes.

"Ichi-honey...Why are you here?"

"To walk home with you of course, or have you forgotten? We've been doing this since I was twelve, Okaa-san."

"True. Just let me finishd this up, okay?"

"Okay! Can I sit in?"

"Huh?"

"Can I sit in?"

"Well, I don't know.."

"Oh, c'mon, Okaa-san!"

"Shuichi," This was from his best friend in the whole wide world. "What could it hurt? Think of these girls as our test subjects. They can tell us if we have a hit or not."

"I'm sure you will!" Keiko gushed.

Shuichi nodded at Hiro.

"Go, Fukisaki!" The keyboardist started up the song on his synthesizer.

Ichigo watched with pride as her okaa-san took hold the microphone and started singing with all his might. His voice was sweet, like a, like a...a strawberry. She grinned. He took hold of the souls of young fan girls and gripped their hearts tight-even now. Even when he 35 years old. He moved in sync with the music, he was older now, but he still had the boyish face of his youth. His amethyst eyes pierced through the canopy of black bangs. He was smiling. _"Open up your eyes and see the kaleidoscopic rainbow. Don't close your soul. But don't leave it to bleed dead and dry... Hearts pound fast in my ears; it rises. See the joy that is... Sparkling! Shining! Your heart pours out with incessant melodies!" _It went on like that for a while, Ichi grinning through it all. It was great! Of course she would think it was great! Anything her okaa-san wrote was gold.

When it ended. She got up on her chair and clapped enthusiastically. "Yeah! Okaa-san, that was wicked cool!"

Her parent smiled back at her. "You really thinking so..."

"Oh, yes!"

"And you? What did you think about it?"

"Great!" Keiko said.

Nene nodded. "What she said!"

"Okaa-san..."

"Hmm." He turned to look at her. "That's Sakuma-san's philosophy wrote out in song, isn't it?"

"Guilty."

"What took you so long to write something like that?"

"Ichi-honey.... This is special. A special time for you. A special time for me and Bad Luck!" He grinned. "I needed a song that would "sparkle". Just like Saukma-san told me so long ago.."

"You WILL sparkle, Okaa-san." She hugged.

"Thank you, Ichigo..."

"After all..." She wiped her tears. "You always do!"

"How sweet. My little Strawberry..."

"Okaa-san!" She blushed furiously. "My friends are STILL here!"

"Strawberry? What about Strawberries?" Keiko asked with a grin on her face.

"Nothing!"

"I get it!" Nene grinned.

"What!?" She whispered into Keiko's ear. "No kidding!"

"Great! Now I won't hear the end of it!"She turned an evil Yuki eye at him.

_Heh, heh. That's my daughter. One minute she's the sun, the next she can be the nastiest storm._

"So, Strawberry..."

"Cut it out, Nene!"

"But that's your name. Right, Strawberry!?" A chuckled followed this.

"You must me really stupid if you failed to remember that Ichigo means strawberry."

Her friend ignore this comment, seeing it as Ichi's testy mood in which she really didn't mean a thing that came out of her not so nice mouth. "So that's what was with the strawberry ice-cream!" "The strawberry on the cake!" "The strawberry-!" "Okay al ready. You got your kicks, now let's go!" The girls giggled. "Sorry, Ichi..." She shot her okaa-san a glare and he crumpled. "Guess I gone and did it." The rock star sighed, picking up his pack. "Did what?" "What else, Hiro? I've gone and made Ichigo mad at me again. Things sure change when they grow up..." "That's life man..." The guitarist threw an arm over his friend's shoulder. "You've gotta take things as they come at you. Ichi, will forgive. She always does. You ARE her favorite parent. Always have been, man."

"I suppose your right..."

"Of course I am!" He slapped his shoulder. "Now go home and rest! You deserve it!"

He nodded.

"See you later, Fujisaki!"

"Shuichi..." The green-haired man acknowledged.

* * *

"Taidama!"(sp?) Ichigo shouted coming into the big house.

"Welcome home," Yuki said coming out of the kitchen. He looked around. "Where's your okaa-san..."

"Who knows!?" she stomped upstairs and slammed the door to her room.

He sighed heavily.

That was his daughter, Whirlwind II.

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**Next Chapter: The Boyfriend Inspection**

**A/N: Yeah, found out what my DSL problem was! (tell me how to spell that one word correctly please--the one with the (sp?) thing behind it)I'd really appreciate it!Review onegai!**


	3. Creeps & Nice Guys

**A/N: I'm not gonna start this idea now, it is sitting on the back burner of my brain. I'm proposing to do a Gravitation drama/mystery in the future. Just not now. Anyway, thanks for sticking with me to this story. I appreciate it. **

**Thanks: Crazy 4 Grasper (thanks for helping me with the spelling), ****Guren, Kitty in the Box, clueless97,** **mitzuki-kun, Ashura Akuma.

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**Chapter II**

Yuki watched his daughter creep down the stairs and try to make it out the front door."And just where do you think you're going?"

Ichi froze and gave a timid smile. "Ahhh, hah hah. Tou-san, I did't see you there."

"Obviously not; it explains why you're sneaking around behind by back."

She plastered on a fake smile.

"Tou-san..." Her words dripped with sugar-coated sweetness.

"Can it!" Yuki saw right through her facade.

"Now, come over here and sit down, young lady!"

She sighed. "I'm gonna be late for school..."

He looked at the clock, raising an eyebrow.

"Sit."

He walked over to the table and sat while she did. "Now... What seems to be the problem?" "Noth-" "Need I remind you you're a very bad liar, Ichigo." She stopped and pouted. "And that pout doesn't work on me." Her expression fell as she sighed heavily. "Guess, I'm found out, huh?" Her tou-san took a sip of his coffee. "As always." he mumured in return. "Is there a point to this?" "Don't get smart with me, Ichigo Shindou-Uesugi!" She gronaed. Full names were _never_ good. It always meant she was in **really** big trouble. "Did I do somethig?" she asked, slipping her head against her folded forearms. "In a mater of speak...."

She waited.

"You okaa-san came home, to OUR bed looking very upset." Yuki took a sip of coffee. "And you know, Ichigo, when he's upset **I **don't get any work done. I only started three hours ago. He kept me up half the night moping about how a terrible mother he was." Her tou-san stared at her. "Don't you wonder what or WHO should I say put those thoughts in his baka brain?" Ichi squirmed under his gaze. "Ummm..." "Do we have answer?" "I-I did." He sighed. "And why for Kami's sake, would you want to do that?" She stayed quiet. "Do you delight in making your okaa-san unhappy and me miserable?" "Of course not!" "Then I suggest you go upstairs and talk to him before you leave for school.." She nodded.

Because if okaa-san wasn't happy, Yuki wasn't happy, and when tou-san wasn't happy her life was miserable!

"I'll go now."

* * *

Shuichi Shindou was sitting up in bed, in the dark bedroom, listening as Yuki's voice got louder. He winced and buried face against his arms. "I'm such a terrible mother...." (lol) He sobbed. "If I had done anything right, things wouldn't be like this." "That's not true, okaa-san..." A soft voice answered through the semi-darkness. The raven-haired man looked up and gauged his blonde headed daughter with teary eyes. "You're a great mother." She smiled. "We're just two different people...." Shuichi sniffed and smiled, placing a hand on her head. "I don't think we're so different." "I beg to differ." Ichigo responded with a giggle. 

"I see your point..." He frowned. "Why do you have to be so hard-headed, girl?"

"That's what tou-san keeps asking me. And you know what I tell him..."

"That I got it from the original."

He thought about this for a moment. "Hey! Are you mocking me, young lady?"

"Nope! Just stating the truth."

"You really have to watch what you say to people, Ichi." He responded with a stern voice.

"Look who's talking..."

"......"

"Wasn't that mouth the reason you got kicked out by tou-san so much?"

"That doesn't matter. Didn't you come up here for something?"

"To apologize..."

"So?"

She sighed. "I'm sorry, Okaa-san. I'm being a real bitch, aren't I?"

"ICHI!"

"Well, aren't I?"

"No. You're just growing up...."

She stared at him.

"And people who grow up make mistakes—but that doesn't mean they can't learn from them."

"What if I get bitchy again?"

He laughed. "Then I guess tou-san and I will have to ship you off to one of those boot camps."

She made a face. "You're kidding, right!?" The thought horrified her.

"We'll see..."

* * *

"Oi! Shindou!" Ichigo made a face. Couldn't that creep get her name right? What a total moron? "What, Yamagasha!" "That's Yamamoto." "Right." The brown-haired boy gauged her withnlue eyes, a lecherous look in them. What a total pervert! His name was Naka Yagamata. He was a senior in her new high school. He acted as though everything he touched was gold and thought he was Kami's gift to women. The creep already had a girl friend but that didn't stop him from hitting on her. She glared him. "What do you want, you perv?" Naka looked furious but only for a moment; he slowly slid on that famous charm of his. Charm he thought worked on every girl....Every girl but her. She had a brain in her head! 

Unlike the other bimbos he went out with.

"I'm gonna let that slide, and instead give you the enjoyment of my company..." He made a bow.

She rolled her eyes.

"And why would I want to do that?"

He got angry again.

Ichigo turned away to head to back into the school.

"Hey!" He grabbed her wrist. "This is the chance of a life times for you!"

She looked at her wrist, his hand around it then up at him with narrow deadly violet eyes.

"Take your hand off me before I break it, Yamamoto!" Her voice was like venom.

Naka stood their and smirked.

"I said, let go, creep!"

"Try to make me."

Ichigo narrowed her eyes more. "Okay, smart ass. You asked for it!" She pulled an expert maneuver, grabbing his arm that had her wrist and threw him to the ground with all her might; meanwhile, landing a punch square on his nose. Blood spurted everywhere! He crashed to the ground, landing on his back hard. The jerk stared there for a moment, then levered himself up, holding his bleeding nose. "Bitch." "Speak for yourself, you perv!" With that she flipped her hair and stalked back to the school. "Oh!" She paused and turned, hand on one hip, giving him one her tou-san's deadliest looks. "And the name's Uesugi! Learn it!" Ichi entered the building, radiating heat.

Keiko and Nene saw this and their eyes widened. "Come on." She urged. "Bathroom." "What's with you?" "Bathroom." She repeated. Her friends followed her, casting each other speculative glances.

When they finally made into the girl's bathroom, door locked behind them, Ichigo jumped up on the sink and crossed her legs, sailor uniform rising up on her thigh. "What a prick!" She muttered looking at her nails. "Who?" Kekio murmured, meeting her friend's eyes. "What other scumbag to you know, Keiko?" "Scumbag?" "Pervert." She shot her friend a meaningful look. It dawned of Kieko and Nene. "Oh, that scumdbag..." "Hope you set him strait." Sure did!" She examined her broken nail. "Bloodied his nose good." "Again!" "The moron grabbed my wrist! I wasn't about to let him hurt me." She huffed. "I should have given him a black eye to go with the green."

"Now, Ichigo...."

"Don't now, Ichigo, me!" She was angry now. "The guy was given better than trash like him deserves!"

"Ichi!"

"Just wait! Next time he tries that crap, he's gonna wish he'd never messed with the daughter of Eiri Yuki!"

She then practiced a Judo move on a paper towel dispenser, leaving a fist-sized dent. "HIYA!"

Her friends froze. "Jeez, she can be really scary sometimes."

"I know what you mean." Keiko responded.

* * *

Ichigo threw her opponent to the mat, a grin of victory plastering her face. "HIYAH!" The girl looked up at her with wide eyes, brushing blue hair out of her forehead. She lay there, panting. "Awesome, Ichigo!" "I agree," their Judo teacher spoke up. "Very well done, Uesugi-san." "Thank you, Sensei." She bowed deeply at her waist, her blonde hair done up in a high ponytail. The blonde reached her hand down, "Here, Cho! Let me give you a hand up!" "Thanks, Ichigo!" Cho hopped to her feet and the two opponents bowed to each other. "Very good. Who's next?' "I am." Ichigo gritted her teeth in annoyance. That voice. Damn him. The crowd parted and Naka Yamamoto strutted forward. She cursed, forgetting the creep was in the Judo Club. 

He stepped onto the mat with a smug. The young man then began to crack his knuckles in joy. Yamamoto got closer to her and leaned over, whispering in her ear, "I look forward to beating you," "Dream on, creep!" Her amethyst eyes narrowed sharply, lighting with malice. "You'll pay for that." "I don't think so." "Combatants, bow!" They dropped their arms and bowed to each other at the waist. Ichigo wasn't about to drop her guard. "Don't think I'm going to go ease on you just because you're a girl!" "I wouldn't have it any other way!" she shouted back. "Haijime!" 1 She then dove in, grabbing him by arm. _The little witch is gonna..._

He twisted avoiding her throw. Yamamoto grabbed her shoulder an elbow and threw her roughly to the mat, pinning her. **_No! _**She thought. "YES!" "Ippon, soremade!" 2 The gym teacher announced. The blonde got up, reluctantly, her pride seriously wounded. She stepped behind the line a bowed to her opponent—who was smiling smugly. "Well, done Yamamoto-san!" Ichigo gritted her teeth, glaring at him. Damn him! He smiled as he walked past her. "Now how about you go out with me?" he whispered. "Drop dead, creep!" His face flushed scarlet. He looked angry. "You're going to regret turning me down all the time!" The creep stalked off. Keiko rushed over to her. "Ichi, are you okay?" Nene came to her other side. "We saw what happened!" She looked to her friends. "You mean besides my pride?" They nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay."

"That creep," Nene muttered. "Just who does he think he is?"

"I'll tell you who I think he is; the biggest perv in Japan!" Ichi ground out.

Her friends back up. "Calm down, Ichigo."

"Yeah, girl."

* * *

Later that day in mathematics class, a note was passed to her along with a tap on the shoulder. She looked over her shoulder and the girl in back of her pointed to malt-brown haired boy with soulful grey eyes and a sexy smile. He waggled his fingers and lifted his eyebrows suggestively. Ichigo grinned in return and turned her head back and unfolded the note. Looking up to see where the teacher was in the lesson, Ichigo read letter carefully, a blush creeping to her cheeks. It read: 

_Ichigo,_

_Been watching you for awhile, and I like what I see. I'd love it if you would go out on a date with me._

_Yuri_

She blushed again and turned her head, mouthing a silent, _yes_. He grinned a victory grin. He took out a sheet of notebook paper and started scribbling something down on it. When Yuri was done, he folded up the paper and passed another note. Ichigo waited silently for it and felt a second tap on the shoulder. She took it over her shoulder and unfolded this one. _Can I pick you up tonight? _The blonde shook her head and wrote, _not tonight, tomorrow would be okay. _She then passed it back. "Uesugi-san? Uesugi-san?" her teacher's voice broke into her conscience. Ichi jerked her head. "Uesuig-san, have you been paying attention?" "Uh, yes." She lied. "Then come up here and do this problem on the board..." She got up uncertainly, slowly making her way to the board. "Uesugi-san, I can't wait here all day. Hurry it up." _I am so toast!

* * *

_

"So you're really going out with Yuri tomorrow." Nene asked excitedly.

"Yeah."

"What do you think your tou-san's going to say?"

"Nothing."

"What do you mean nothing?" Keiko interrupted. "He's bound to say something!"

"He will do absolutely nothing, because I'm not telling him." She pivoted in place to face her friends. "And neither are you."

"And that is why..."

She sighed heavily. "Don't you see?"

They shook their heads.

"Then let me explain, if Yuri meets MY tou-san, the cold-hearted bastard novelist..."

Gasp.

"So says society. If he meets THE Eiri Yuki, tou-san will scare the poor boy away and I'll never see him again...."

"Oh, come on, Ichigo, you're exaggerating."

"Oh really? Am I?" She propped her hands on her hips. "Do you remember that American boy, Matt Dylan? Just one session of meeting my tou-san and he wouldn't even exchange correspondence with me!" She sighed. "That isn't going to happen with Yuri! I really like him..."

"Awww."

"So nobody tells, kay?"

"Kay! On our honor, Ichi!" They held up their hands.

"That's the last thing I need right now...."

* * *

They made it to her house where Ichigo said goodbye to her friends. Just as she was about to mount the steps she noticed a bright red sporty looking car. She grinned, knowing that could only be one thing. She raced up the steps and through open the door to her house. "Tadaima!" 

Tohma Seguchi looked up from the place on their couch, he's been talking with tou-san.

"Oh! Uncle Tohma...."

She looked around. ":Where's Aunt Mika?"

"Oh, Ichigo....." Was all the president said with sorrow in his soft voice and tears were apparent in his cerulean eyes.

* * *

**Next Chapter: A Family in Crisis**

**1 Begin!**

**2 Full point; that is all!**

**A/N: Yeah! Finished! Hope you enjoy! Review onegai!**


	4. A Family in Crisis

**A/N: Here's something I should have done in the prologue but forgot for some reason:**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gravitation. ::mumbles:: Life's so unfair....**

**Thanks: Kitty in the Box, Notta Writer, lemur130, Guren Ashura Akuma, Claudita, Kibethan, Kitsune's Grrl, clueless97, Shos-lady, Sakura Blossom-Cilla-85:P, Alana-Star/SugarCat.**

**Chapter III**

The young blonde headed girl stared at the scene before her. "Wha-What's going on?" Tohma sighed and buried his face in his hands. "Tou-san?" "Go upstairs, Ichigo..." "_Domo_, tou-san...." "Upstairs!" She looked reluctant to do so, that was until he shot her a serious look. "Fine..." She picked up her pack and raced upstairs, casting a backward glance at her poor oji-san. 1 As she entered her room and close the door, Ichigo couldn't help but think something was seriously wrong. She bit her lip, dropping her pack on the bed and turned to look at herself in mirror. "Something's not right," She said her mirror-self. "They're hiding something....but why? And what?"

She could faintly hear her Uncle Tohma sobbing. What had hurt him so? "Well, Ichigo Hana Uesugi, I guess we'll just have to find out, won't we?" 2

* * *

"Eiri-san..."

"It's your own fault."

"How can you say that?" His brother-in-law looked up, eyes wide.

"If you hadn't been so damn impulsive and stubborn, she would have never have been hurt that way."

"_Domo_...I never meant."

Eiri lit a cigarette. 3 "Tell me," he murmured around the stick. "Did you love my sister even just a little bit?" "Of course..." "Really?" "Why would I have married Mika-san if I did not share feelings for her?" "To get at me." "That's not true." He wiped his tears. "You weren't till after..." "Cut the crap, Seguchi!" "What do you expect me to say?" Tohma asked, breathless. "I expect you to admit this was all your fault." The other blonde looked at him with stony eyes. "I'm afraid I can't do that." Eiri stubbed out his cigarette and got up, walking over to the terrace door. "Than live with what you've done, and don't come crying to me."

He turned in place. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do...." The novelist then disappeared down the dark corridor next to the stairs, leaving Tohma to sit and contemplate his thoughts and actions alone.

"Tadaima!" an energetic voice exclaimed, pulling Tohma out of his stupor and extracting Ichigo from her bedroom. Feet raced down the stairs as she swung around the corner grinning. "Welcome home, Okaa-san!" She had a pencil behind her ear and had changed into her everyday clothes—a tight purple tank top with blue jean short-shorts. "Dinner ready?" "No, it hasn't been started." He nodded, noticing Tohma Seguchi for the first time. "Hello, Seguchi-san. What're you doing over here?" He set his pack on the floor, just like his daughter had done before him and headed over to the hall way where Yuki had disappeared. "Yuki! I'm home!" "I heard, brat!" the voice shouted back.

He grinned. "Now, Seguchi-san..." He turned back to the president.

"It's a long story, Shindou-san. One I prefer not to have to retell again..." He got up. "If you'll excuse me, I think I will get some fresh air." He then went outside into their backyard.

He looked to his daughter. "Do you have any idea what that was about, Ichi-honey?" "Nope." She watched after her oji-san. "Tou-san told me to go upstairs as soon as I got home." "Hmmm. Well, maybe I can get something out of Yuki." "Good luck." Shuichi nodded at her and ventured down the hallway. Ichigo watched after him and sighed. Yes, maybe okaa-san would get some answers. She could only hope that he would. Curiosity was killing her!

* * *

**Knock! Knock! **

"Come in," Yuki called out and continued to type.

"Yuki?" His lover started.

"Yes?"

"What's with, Seguchi-san...."

The blonde stopped typing. "I'd rather not talk about it. I'm through talking about it."

"_Domo, _Yuki..."

"I said, no, Shuichi!" He turned and stared at the man through his glasses. "If Ichigo sent you to get information out of me, she's not getting any. If Tohma chooses to tell the rest—her included—it's his business." "Than you **do **know what's wrong?" "Yes, but that doesn't mean I'm telling you..." "Yuki!" "No." Shuichi sighed and gave up, leaving the room.

When he closed the door behind him, he could faintly hear his daughter getting things ready in the kitchen. He smiled and ventured inside to join her. He'd never been very good at making things, but somehow she excelled at not burning the house down. Ichigo was in the middle of measuring whit rice into a plastic cup; a pot of water was boiling on the stove. "Rice balls?" he asked with a smile. She turned to look at him and smiled back. Sometimes she could be so sweet. "Yeah..." "What else is on today's menu?" He stepped forward peeking over her shoulder. "Uh-uh..." She pushed her okaa-san back. "No peeking." "You can tell your okaa-san, Ichi-honey..." "

"It's a surprise." She poured the rice into the pot. "And if I recall correctly okaa-san, you don't keep surprises very well."

He pouted and Ichi had the urge to laugh but didn't it wouldn't be wise to insult her parent than she all ready had. "I'm on orders from tou-san." She said to explain her actions. Shuichi sighed, turned, and started to raid the pantry. "What're you doing now, Okaa-san?" The tone in her voice was exasperated. "Getting a snack, if you want to know." He sounded miffed. "Okay, as long as you don't try to use the microwave...." She heard a curse in the background and grinned, turning to look at him. He had his hand on the microwave door handle. "You blew up the last one." "It was defective!" He was irritated have to explain himself to his fifteen year old daughter.

"That was not was the company said..." She chuckled.

"They lied!"

"Maybe, but I don't." Yuki's voice intervened.

His petite raven-haired lover pivoted in his spot. "Yuki!?" "Trying to sneak past Ichigo?" The rock star turned up his chin. "Your watch dog does a good job. Making sure I starve and all." "Don't be stupid." He passed the young man. "You can eat; someone just needs to make it for you." "How old AM I, Yuki?" "Thirty-five, but you're still cooking inept." His lover sighed. "I guess that's true." Yuki looked at him as if he'd grown a second head. "That's a surprise." "What!?" "You actually agree with me." "So?" "Nothing, I'm just surprised is all..." "Oh..." He looked down at the floor. "Now, are you going to tell me about Seguchi-san?" "No." "YUKI!" he shouted. "Now I'm getting mad! I'm your partner! I thought we told each other these things!"

"It's not mine to tell!" he snapped back.

He flinched and muttered. "Sorry, Yuki. Did I make you mad?"

"What do you think?"

"Make up kiss?"

The blonde snorted. "I'll think about it..." He took on a smug smile and a look in his eyes that said, 'we'll deal with this tonight'. It was very sexy and very suggestive. Shuichi began to pant and his pants at the crotch began to tighten—then realized his daughter was there and took his lust elsewhere. "You're pathetic, you know?" Yuki was at the bottom of the stairs watching a sex-crazed vocalist try to _calm_ himself. "It's your fault!" "Why?" He lit a cigarette. "You've made me horny!" He slapped a hand over the other's mouth. "Keep it down, baka." "I'll see you later tonight..." he said suggestively, pressing his nose against the blonde's. He then traipsed up the stairs, Yuki watching the shorter man's backside. "Later, huh?" He took a drag. "Sounds like fun..."

* * *

Tohma Seguchi sat outside on the deck, relaxing in one of the chairs beneath the big umbrella. She hadn't even gave him warning; she'd just up a left. No note; nothing. She'd taken everything, except her car. That was what confused him the most. Did it mean she was coming back? "Mika-san..."

Ichigo stuck her head out the back door and said, "Dinner ready, Oji-san."

"Thank you, little Blossom." He moved to get up.

The girl nodded then said the same thing to her parents, "TOU-SAN! OKAA-SAN! DINNER!"

Yuki came out looking irritable. "What have I told you about shouting in the house?" "Don't do it?" she answered sheepishly. "Exactly!" "Yuki!" Shuichi scolded as Tohma came inside. "You're stifling, my Strawberry's personality!" He took his daughter by the shoulder and murmured, "Don't listen to tou-san, Ichi-honey, he's just an old grouch." "Don't fill her head with stupid ideas OR suggestions, Shuichi!" "Don't mind him; you know your tou-san." She nodded. "Let's just eat okay?" "Mmmm, this looks splendid!" Her uncle Tohma announced, placing a napkin on his lap and picking up old-fashion chopsticks. He smiled. "Thank you, Ichigo. You remembered." "I don't forget that kind of thing, Oji-san. It's like breathing; once you learn, you never forget!" "Very good."

Tohma took a bite out of the rice ball he picked up with his chopsticks, chewing slowing. The small family carried on small conversation; her oji-san quietly inquiring about her day. Shuichi shared his news with Ichi and Yuki about how great the farewell concert was going to be, talking animatedly as always. It wasn't till Ichigo brought the dessert out that it happened. Before taking a bite of the delicacy, Tohma began to out right cry in it. He openly sobbed, dropping the spoon and burying his face in the palms of his hands with elbows rested on the table. Shuichi and his daughter watched astounded. "Oji-?" She saw her tou-san shake his head negative. Ichi made a face as if to argue with him, matching his look with a deadly one of her own. Her stubbornness came from both of her parents.

Tohma lifted his tear drenched face and murmured, "I-I'm terribly sorry. Excuse me!" He quickly got up from the table and dashed outside. Ichigo mad a move to go after him but Yuki quickly restrained her by grasping her wrist and shaking his head. "Tou-san!" "Leave it be, Ichigo Uesugi." She pouted and stood up. "I'll do the dishes...."

* * *

Tohma Seguchi sat in the moonlight in his pajamas on his brother-in-law's couch, thinking about his dear Mika-san—thinking about what had driven her away. "How could I have been such a fool?" He threaded his hands through his white-blonde hair and cried openly. "Why have I let my feelings linger this far; even now? Why?" He thought about her. He thought about how she would smile sadly when she thought of her brother Eiri, how her eyes would light up on her birthday when he presented her with an extrodinary gift. But most of all, he thought how she looked on their wedding day; dress in a white flowing gown, her hair done up elaborately. Mika Uesugi, the daughter of a monk. Mika-san, the woman he had loved and had sworn to cherish. Mika; the woman who he had driven away, because of what he had done...

* * *

"_What the hell do you think you're doing?" Eiri had said, looking delectable and flustered. Tohma was on top, just like he'd always wanted to be, Shindou-san was still in recording and most of the staff had thought he'd gone home._

"_I just want to love you like I always have, Eiri-san...." He bent his head to capture the novelist's lips with his._

"_Seguchi, get off!" The taller blonde tried to push him away, but Tohma was strong for a smaller guy and had Eiri trapped between himself and his company desk. _

"_Never!" He lowered his lips to the man's neck and began to suck on the soft skin. _

"_What the fuck?" Eiri shoved him off. _

_But not in enough time. Someone had seen what they'd been doing in the moonlight._

_That someone had been his dear Mika-san.

* * *

_

"What have I done?" He began to cry again, tears coming down his face in great rivers. There was a saying; you don't know how much you'll appreciate something until you loose it.

Tohma could now testify to that. He lost Mika the moment he had dared touched Eiri again, and he deeply regretted it. Deeply. "What have I done?"

"Oji-san? Uncle Tohma?" a small feminine voiced intoned throughout the semi-darkness. The president jerked slightly and looked up, lowering his hand, to look at his niece. "Ichigo... Little Blossom..." he spoke softly, surprised by her presence. "Oji-san...Why are you crying?" "Ichigo..." He sniffed. "I-I can't tell..." "Please, Oji-san," The blonde haired girl came forward, wrapped in a green terry-cloth robe that dangled to her ankles, her hair loose. "I can't bear to see you cry. It hurts, Oji-san." Tohma looked at her a second more. "Oji-san... You've always been there for me, now I'd like to be there for you. Please?" He sighed and patted the couch, giving in. "Come sit with me, little Blossom." She did as he asked, pulling her legs beneath her and looking at her elder with large, soulful amethyst eyes.

They were eyes that could reach into the soul.

"I've done something terrible, little one..."

"What could you ever have possibly done?"

"Your-your obaa-san has left me," He sobbed. "And it is because of me, because my heart was so unfaithful, because I was so selfish I lusted after another!"

Ichigo sat there silent. _Lusted? Whom had her oji-san's heart been lusting after? _She hadn't been aware of anybody... In all of her 15 years she'd never seen him look at anyone but her obaa-san. This was a total and complete shock to the young woman's mind. "Who?" He looked at with pitiful eyes. "That I cannot say. I'm too ashamed to say." He bit his lip, turned his head, and cried into his hand again. "Please...I need to be alone..." Ichigo hesitated for a moment then got up and started back upstairs, looking sadly at her forlorn oji-san. Her heart began to sag; she had to do something to make Uncle Tohma feel better. She had to find her Aunt Mika first of all. She had to find out where her obaa-san had gone! She had to! Her oji-san's happiness depended on it; along with the stability of N-G pro!

* * *

As soon as she had left, Tohma once more started to sob his heart out. He cursed himself and cried for his love, Mika-san to return to him. "Oh, Mika-san...." In the end, he ended up crying himself to sleep.

* * *

Ichigo got up early that morning determine to track down her aunt. She made a call to N-G pro, saying it was on behalf of her uncle Tohma the president, she told them to hire a private detective and to call her cell number when the investigator got back to them. She said her thanks and hung up the phone. She'd find where her obaa-san had gone one way or the other. As for money to pay for the detective... Let's just say she didn't lack for anything, seeing as who her parents were.

After making the call, she snuck quietly down the stairs, stopping at the bottom to watch her oji-san snoozing on their couch then crept into the kitchen to quietly make herself breakfast. After making herself food and eating it quickly, she exited the house then took her bike from the garage and hightailed her way down to N-G pro to do a bit investigation of her own. She grinned. This was much better, she could make it there much faster this way, and with the key she'd pick pocketed. (How terrible lol) from her uncle Tohma, she wouldn't have any trouble getting into his office to do her nosing around. She peddled into downtown Tokyo, watching as the shopkeepers just started to open the stores.

In a few moments, the building of N-G Production, her oji-san's company, loomed before her. Speeding up, she beat a car that was making its way to the busy intersection then stepped on the breaks as soon as she reach the tall building, her bike tires screeching. Business men and women who were all ready up and entering the building looked at the amethyst eyed girl strangely. She smiled brightly and raced into the building. "Uesugi-san, is that you?" the front desk clerk asked. "Hai! I'm coming to get some things for Seguchi-san. He regrets he will not be in today. He does not feel well." "That's too bad." "Hai, it is." Ichigo continued on her way to the elevator and took the lift to the uppermost floor.

* * *

"Okay, it's got to be here somewhere?' Ichigo muttered, opening up the locked office. "The key to Aunt Mika's disappearance....."

* * *

1 Oji-san: Uncle

2 Ichigo Hana: Strawberry Blossom

3 As you can see I call him Eiri whenever he is talking to Tohma. Don't ask...

* * *

**Next Chapter: Sweet Sixteen Part II**

**A/N: Chapter over! Yeah! I would have written more but all I wanted to do was end this chapter... **


	5. The Boyfriend Inspection

**A/N: As you see I've change the title of this chapter. Sorry, I'll try not to do this again, seeing how I've done it twice already. **

**Thanks: moongirlSelene99, Japanese Vampire Babe II, ****cryearthstearsfalltou, lemur130, clueless97 and thank you to all who wanted to review but couldn't because of FF.N.**

**Chapter IV

* * *

**

Ichigo had spent near to a half an hour searching her oji-san's office early that morning. When she had come up with nothing except a back ache from bending over too long and dust bunnies, she gave up and decided to leave. Locking the office door behind her, the blonde girl looked up at the time on the digital clock in the hall: 7:45. She swore. She had fifteen minutes to get to school! She made her way down to the ground floor, waving at the clerk as she passed. "Did you find everything you needed?" the clerk asked. She chuckled nervously and lied smoothly, "Yes, sir." and ran outside to her bike. _I can't be late!

* * *

_

"Uesugi-san, would you please step outside for he duration of the class time?" her teacher asked.

Ichigo groaned. _Great. Just great. _She walked outside an leaned against the wall. _Well, I guess this gives me more time to deal with the obaa-san problem.

* * *

_

Keiko rushed out of the class as soon as the bell sounded and grabbed the tardy girl's wrist. "There you are!" she exclaimed. "You're not usually late!" "Yeah, what gives, Ichi?" Nene asked, coming up beside her,. "Family crisis…" She answered with a sigh. "Really?" Her friends stopped their eyes wide. "Yeah, but I'd rather not talk about it…" "Okay, whatever you say, girl." "So! About your date with Yuri!" Nene interrupted excited. "What about it?" Keiko gave her a strange look. "Uh, it's tonight." This statement hit her like a lightening bolt. With all the stuff about Uncle Tohma going on she had totally forgot! "Don't tell me you forgot?" The long haired girl asked. "Well…" Her other friend panicked. "How could you forget something like this? A date with Yuri Sato is every girl's dream. The sexiest hunk in all of Ejihaan High!"

The blonde smiled slightly. "How could I forget….."

"Then you ARE still going out with him? Right?"

Ichigo hesistated for a moment.

"Right?"

"Of course!"

Keiko nodded. "Good. You had me worried there for a second."

"Now!" The other grinned. "Just what to wear?"

"Well, I thought I'd go with the…"

"I KNOW what you're going to say, Miss Strawberry! And Lady Keiko says we need to go shopping after school!"

"Lady Nene seconds that!"

"All opposed?" They said together.

Ichigo said nothing.

"Great." Keiko grinned. "Girl, you're gonna knock that boy for a loop!"

"That's what I'm hoping!" Ichi quipped.

"Oi, Shindou!" Ichigo gritted her teeth and froze. That creep! He'd done that on purpose! "What did I say about that, Yamamoto!?" her eyes became dangerous. Naka smiled smugly at her. "Can't recall." "You're obviously looking for another busted nose." His eyes took on a lecherously quality and he slunk forward like the hideous snake he was. "I don't think so, baby. You're going to be mine." He grabbed hold of her wrist as he did before then pulled her to him. He pressed her to him and tried to force a kiss a kiss on her. Ichigo struggled under his control, trying to break the creep's hold on her. "Let go of me, bastard…." She ground out. He didn't let her go but instead pressed his lips to hers in a bruising manner. She gagged, his kiss and touch was repulsive!

"Let go of me!" She struck him across the face hard with her closed fist.

He faltered back and couple of steps and instinctively put a hand to his face. "Bitch." Ichigo became cruel and angry. She was tired of Yamamoto thinking he could take whatever he wanted all the time! Especially her! When he made a move to grab her again she cold-cocked him upside the head, then came around with a spinning kick and nailed him in the gut. Then for a finishing blow, she grabbed his wrist and his elbow a he staggered around and practiced her Judo move on him, throwing the smug pervert to the ground and landing on him with all her weight. Her forearm was pressed against his exposed throat when a teacher found them and it took said teacher a moment to pry her off him before she was sent to the principle's office for fighting on school grounds.

* * *

"So, this is what you do when we're not around. You're a busy girl." Eiri Yuki proclaimed, looking down at his daughter.

"Tou-san…"

"I got pulled away from my novel, you know, young lady." He frowned, a cigarette between his fingers. "I hope it was for a good reason. They say you were beating up someone?"

Her eyes became venom. "The creep deserved it1 He was getting a little to personal. So I practiced my martial arts on him, that's all!"

"Personal?" Yuki's eyes got dark. "How personal?"

She knew that tone. It said he wanted to rearrange to boy's face.

"I took care of it!" Unlike some girls, she could handle herself!

"This little bastard tried something with you didn't he?"

"I said, I…."

"Didn't he, Ichigo?"

"Well, yeah but…"

"Not another word."

She twitched in her seat. "C'mon, we're going home!"

"We are?"

"Yes, you're being sent home for fighting." He took a drag. "Go get your things and let's go."

* * *

Yuki looked over at his daughter sitting in the seat next to him. He'd find out where the little bastard lived and have a personal chat with. "He didn't hurt you did he?" "Do I look hurt?" "Don't get smart with me, Ichigo!" She was cowed by this. "No, he didn't." She sighed. "I'm fine, really." The car stayed quiet for a couple of minutes, smoke from her tou-san's cigarette floating out the driver's side window. "So, are you excited about your birthday?" He tapped off the ashes. "Remember we're taking you and your friends out to dinner before the concert." "Yeah, I l know." Her voice was stiff. "Your okaa-san's working really hard so this concert will be perfect." He looked over at her and saw Ichigo's face. It wasn't a happy one. "What's wrong with you?" "I can take care of myself you know, tou-san." Yuki put on the breaks. "All right, Ichigo Uesugi, what the hell's your problem!?"

She made a face.

"Naka Yamamoto's a jerk and perv, but I can handle him!"

He pulled the car over, sighed, and turned off the engine. "So that's what this is about?"

"Yes."

"I haven't stepped in for you yet, Ichigo…"

"I know…" She put her head down. "I'm being such a brat, aren't I?"

"Not compared to Shuichi."

She grinned slightly.

"This cannot be what's bothering you, Ichigo…" He leaned back in his seat, shutting his eyes. "You found out what happened to your aunt Mika, didn't you?"

"She left him."

"I don't fault her."

"How can you say that, Tou-san!?"

"Tohma's been screwing up way before you were born; hurting my sister a day at time. This time he's taken it too far."

"So you know who it is, Tou-san?"

"That's not my story to tell."

"Again, not your story…."

"If Seguchi wants to tell you all he will." _Which I highly doubt it seeing how his secret is me. He wouldn't want his niece to know the person he's been lusting after is her own tou-san. _

Tears began to leak from her eyes. "Why the hell did he have to do something like this? Why did he have to hurt her like this? Men are such creeps!"

Yuki sighed.

"Tou-san?"

"Men are like that sometimes, Ichigo, you just have to take it. Sometimes they're not always trustworthy or true."

"Gee, Tou-san…" He waved a finger in the air. "A vote of confidence for men all around."

"I'm just lucky I happened to find Shuichi… A rambunctious ball of energy he might be… But I do love him. I always will, Ichigo."

She smiled. "Your sappy side is showing!"

"Is it?" He put on a stoic face. "And I thought I was doing a good jobat still maintaining the cold bastard routine."

"Are you actually getting a sense of humor?"

:"Don't tell your okaa-san or he'll never let me live it down."

She made a motion against her lips.

"My lips are sealed, Tou-san."

"I would hope so."

"Look, I'll make up a deal…" Yuki said as he entered the house. "I'll take you out tonight. Think of it as a pre-birthday dinner."

"Oh, Tou-san, I can't I have a date…"

"A what?"

She cursed, realizing what she'd said. "Nothing!"

"Don't lie to me, Ichigo! What's this about a date?" He turned a serious eye to his little girl.

"I've got a date tonight."

"With whom?"

"A guy from school."

"What's his name?"

HE picked up the phone and started dialing a number.

"Yuri Sato."

"Grade?"

"Freshman. Why?"

He held up a finger and went out side, closing the door tightly behind him.

Ichigo stared after him strangely what was that about!?

* * *

Sometimes he couldn't believe he was forced into doing this, but Yuki surmised he had no other choice, so he made a call to Crawford Winchester, also known as K. The American had his old connections with the CIA, connections that had served him well in the past. Him being the possessive father of a teenage girl. "Great Manager K of the band Bad Luck!" the crazy one answered. "K? This is Eiri Yuki, I'll need another favor from you." "You want me to check up on one of Ichigo's potential boyfriends, right?" "Correct." "Name?" "Sato Yuri, age 15 or 16 ." "Gotcha. I'll get back to you with that information as soon as possible, Yuki-san." "Thanks." He hung up the phone, feeling a bit sleazy, buy hey this was his daughter. He'd do anything to protect her. He knew about the predators out there. He had to protect her from men like himself.

* * *

His daughter pulled away from the glass when she saw her tou-san was making his way back inside. She hadn't heard a thing. Damn! She scurried into the kitchen and busied herself with making herself and him a snack. "Ichigo?" "In the kitchen, Tou-san." "All right, I'm going to go back to work." "No problem! I'll bring your lunch to you when it's ready!" She went back to making a sandwich for him. What on earth had he been talking about? "Why is everyone keeping secrets from me?" she muttered, slapping on the top of the sandwich. "Can't I be trusted?" The phone then rang. She dropped the butter knife. "I'll get it!" She raced into the livingrooom and picked it up. "Uesugi residence!" It was K-san, or at least she thought it was him. He hung up so quick upon hearing her voice. Ichigo stared at the receiver. "How strange…"

She hung it up.

The blonde shrugged her shoulder and went back to making her tou-san's lunch.

* * *

**Knock! Knock!**

"Come in."

Ichigo entered his study and set the plate down, along with a glass of soy milk. "Here." Yuki adjusted his glasses and looked at the glass of liquid. "What's this?" "Soy milk!" "And this?" "Tofu sandwich." He groaned. "Tou-san, it's healthy for you." He sighed. "Fine. Leave it here!" "Now, don't you have some homework?" "Just a little from yesterday." "Then go do it and leave me to my work." "All right, Tou-san!" She leaned over and left him a peck on his cheek. "Bye!" She skipped away, clsing the door quietly.

"Tadaima!" Her okaa-san's voice rang weekly through the house.

"Okaa-san?" Ichigo rushed out into the livingrooom. "What's wrong? Why are you home so early?"

"I didn't feel well, so I convince K-san to let me go." His violet eyes narrowed on his offspring. "And you?"

"I got sent home for fighting at school."

"Ichigo…" He groaned.

"The creep started it!"

His eyes widened. "What creep?"

"Just this jerk that thinks he can hit on me any time he likes." She flounced off into the kitchen.

"Oh…" She turned at looked as he entered the kitchen, looking green around the gills.

"Okaa-san?"

"Ichi-honey, would you get me those crackers out of the cupboard I need to calm my stomach. I feel so nauseous."

She nodded and rose on tip-toe to take the box of crackers off the shelf. She opened the box and handed a handful of crackers to her okaa-san. "Arigatou.." he murmured then stuffed them in his mouth. "No problem," "Your tou-san?" "Inside his study, I just left him a tofu sandwich and soy milk. Want some?" Ichi lifted what was left up to his face, under his nose. He took on a strange look and pushed the plate away, taking off out of the kitchen. "Excuse me!" She could hear him high-tailing it up the stairs at rapid speed. Then the slam of the bathroom door!

"What is going ON in this house!?" She raged.

* * *

**Next Chapter: ****It Happened Again!**

**A/N: Finished! Review onegai! **


	6. Intermission: It's All About Me!

**A/N: Another story Gravity gave me this idea of doing a profile on a character. Just to let you know a little bit more about your favorite original character!

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**Here's Strawberry!**

Name: Ichigo Hana (Shindou) Uesugi

Age: 15

Sex: Female

Eye Color: Amethyst

Hair Color: Golden Blonde

Weight: None of your business!

Height: 5'5"

Marital Status: Single!

Love Interest (though): Yuri Sato

Friend(s): Nene Nabaoe and Keiko Morino

Parent(s): Eiri Yuki (tou-san) and Shuichi Shindou (okaa-san)

Sibling(s): None.

Uncle(s): Tatsuha Uesugi and Tohma Seguchi

Aunt(s): Mika Seguchi and Maiko Shindou

Grandparent(s): Mr. Uesugi

Cousin(s): Suguru Fujisaki

Pet(s): None

Favorite Color: Purple

Favorite Food: Sushi

Favorite Music: American Rock (Rolling Stones)

Favorite Japanese Band: Bad Luck (of course)

Books: Murder mysteries

Addicted To: Anime

Favorite Anime: Ranma 1/2

Best At: Judo

Likes: Cooking

Dislikes: Pervert Boys (Naka Yamamoto)

Quote: "No one messes with the daughter of Eiri Yuki!"

**Bio: Ichigo Hana (Strawberry Blossom) is the daughter of Eiri Yuki and Shuichi Shindou. She excels highly at martial arts but her main flair is Judo. Ichi tend to be "sugar and spice", being like sunshine one minute then the nastiest storm the next. She dearly loves her family, and is always seeking her oji-san's (Uncle Tohma's) help when she gets in jams. She gets in trouble quite often because she is seen as a trouble student. Constantly picking fights. Other than that she's an okay kid; she's proud of both of her parents. What more could one ask for?

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**Next Chapter: It Happened Again!**

(This came to me, sorry lol)


	7. It Happened Again!

**Thanks: ****Alana-Star/SugarCat (what is Yuki supposed to think about?), Guren,** **clueless97, ****Little Fox Kit, ****lemur130.

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**Chapter V**

"Are you okay, okaa-san?" Ichigo asked as he came down the stairs, looking pale. "Are you coming down with something? The flu?"

"I don't know…" He held his head. "I just feel very poorly, Ichigo. Make your okaa-san some of your famous soup, eh."

"All right!"

He started up the stairs. "I'll be in my room, Strawberry sweetie."

"Okay, Okaa-san." Ichigo immediately began to make him her famous misao soup.

Tou-san entered the kitchen. "Did your okaa-san come home?" He took off his glasses. "Yeah. He wasn't feeling well." She stirred the pot. "I'm going to bring some soup to him. Hopefully it'll make him feel better!" Yuki nodded. "Ichigo…." "Yes?" "You're so good to your parents…" She shrugged. "Or course. You ARE both my parents. I should give you each the respect you deserve, shouldn't I?" "Yes, but you usually aren't so nice until you want something." She frowned. "Tou-san! What could I possibly want? I have everything. Two long wonderful parents. And although I've always known okaa-san's a boy, I'll always think of him as the mother I'll never have." He stopped stirring for a moment and turned to fetch orange juice out of the refrigerator.

"He is your mother…"

"Yeah, I know." She smiled fondly. "He's taken care of me ever since I was a tiny baby, if that's not a mother then I don't know what is. And now I can take care of him!"

Ichigo stirred her soup again and turned up the flames slightly.

"ICHI!" a pathetic voice cried out.

She pivoted in her spot and stared at her other parent. "Could you watch the soup?" She grabbed the glass of juice. "I'm going to go see what okaa-san wants." With that she raced out the kitchen and up the stairs, knocking on her parents' bedroom door. "Who is it?" "It's me, Okaa-san." "Oh… Come in, Ichigo." Ichi opened the door and stared at her okaa-san sitting up in bed with a silly smile. "You wanted something?" "Come here." He patted the spot next to him. "Really, Okaa-san, the soup is cooking…" "Yuki can tend to it. Come sit with me." She walked over to the bed and cautiously sat down. "Come closer." "I don't want to get too close if you're sick, Okaa-san. I've got tests coming up." Shuichi nodded knowingly. "Did you want something?" She put the orange juice on the nightstand.

"Just you. I wanted you to sit with me. I never liked being alone, Ichi…" He smiled sadly. "That's why I'm glad I'm with your tou-san." "He's a good man." "Yes, he is; deep down inside. Yuki may seem like a bastard, but he's so much better than that. He loves me and that makes him a good person in my book." "I can see why you're drawn to him." Ichigo nodded then snuggled closer. "Tell me the story of how you met." Her parent chuckled. "You've been told that story countless amount of times." "Yes, but I never tire hearing it. You guys love each other so much. I love hearing how that love was formed." "Well," He smiled, stroking her hair lovingly. "I was walking through my most favorite place to think…" "The park!" "Who's telling this story?" He chuckled.

"You are." Ichi smiled. "Go ahead."

"I was walking through the park, contemplating getting a girlfriend when my lyrics were blown away by the strong wind. I chased after them; I was worried about loosing them!" He stroked her hair some more. "That's when I saw your tou-san. He was tall and mysterious, smoking a cigarette. I was mesmerized by him. Until he asked me, 'Are you the one….who wrote this?'" "Of course you said yes!" "Of course. I said, 'Yes'. He then said, 'You know nothing. You call this a love song?'" He sighed. "I was crushed by his words of course… How could anyone be so cruel? And then he walked close to me and said…" "It's the worst thing I've ever read. You've got zero talent." A deep voice said from the door. "Huh?" He looked up and stared into his love's eyes. "Yu-Yuki."

"How could I…forget that, brat?" he grinned through the smoke.

"Yeah." He looked down at his little girl. She'd fallen asleep in his arms. "To think we've been together for so many years, Yuki."

"Almost twenty."

"That's right! Our anniversary's coming up…"

Yuki walked over and glanced at the calendar on the wall. "So it is…:" Shuichi shifted the sleeping blonde. "So…we know what we're gonna do for Ichi's birthday. What do you want to do for our anniversary?" "I don't know…" "Let's go to Odaiba amusement park again!" He blushed. "Then you can take me to some fancy restaurant." "Or we could skip the amusement park and go straight to the restaurant." "Yeah. There's that." His lover eyed him amorously. "Not now, Yuki…" He sniffed the air. "Shouldn't you be…?" The novelist took off down the stairs at a dead run. Shuichi chuckled. He then smoothed his hand over his daughter's golden blonde hair, thinking about what a treasure she was. "My little treasure, my little Ichigo…" He sighed, thinking back to her birth.

* * *

Yuki came back up the stairs after he had turned the flames low. "Shuichi! Ichigo!" he called out entering the bedroom. His breath caught at the sight before him. His love lay asleep with eyelids shading his beautiful amethyst eyes while their child slept in the crook of his arm, snoozing gently. He sighed. He didn't have the heart to wake them. Besides… The novelist grinned. The bunny looked so cute sleeping there. In his mind's eye, he could see a pink-haired kid, sleeping sprawled in a blue tank top and boxers atop the blanket. _"Yuki, Yuki, Yuki, Yukiiiiii!" The baka had said, running to meet him at the cross walk. _He smirked at this._ "I don't understand you…" He had muttered after his debut. _His heart became lustful. _"You can run or you can die, but I'll search for you and I'll find you!" The brat had shouted upon finding him in New York when the novelist had been intent on erasing his own life. _

He became melancholy.

"Thank you, Shu-chan."

The blonde smiled around his cigarette and made his way back downstairs; intent on getting back to his novel. As he closed the door he heard a faint whisper of, "Yuki…"

* * *

**Ding dong! **

The novelist took off his glasses and looked at the clock. "Huh?" Six forty-five. "Who could that be?" He got up and left his study, making his way to the front door. **Ding Dong! **"I'm coming! Damn it, hold it!" He through open the door annoyed, frightening a boy of five foot seven. Yuki examined him. He had malt-brown hair and grey eyes. "Is-is Ichigo in?" The man gauged the boy with a scary look in his eyes. "And you are?" "Sato. Yuri Sato!" He stepped from one foot to the other. "I'm here to-to take her out." "Really?" Yuki was doing the best job at looking like a threatening, protective father. "Yes." The boy gulped. "We had a date. Tonight..." "Did you? Come in." The boy… (_Yuri, wasn't it_)….passed him and entered the living room, looking hesitant. "Have a seat." Yuki instructed then lit a cigarette.

The boy did so and Yuki after him.

"Ichigo?"

"In a minute..." He tapped non-existent ashes into an ashtray. "But first, I'd like to talk with you."

"Really?"

"Yes…" His amber eyes met the boy's. "How old are you?"

"I just turned sixteen three months ago, Uesugi-san."

"Really?"

"Yes. Sixteen."

"So you are in?"

"Ninth grade. I'm in Ichigo's mathematics class."

"Is that so?"

"Yes!"

"What are your grades?"

"Gomen nasai?" 1 Yuri looked lost.

"I said, what kind of grades do you make?"

"A's and B's." He twisted his hands. "I'm a good student, sir."

"That so." He stubbed out the cancer stick.

"Yes."

"Good. Wouldn't like to think my daughter was dating a looser. She deserves a lot better than that, you know."

"Yes, sir! She does!"

"Glad you agree. I'll go get her."

* * *

Ichigo was down in ten minutes flat, looking rosy-cheeked, her violet eyes lit up. "Hey, Yuri!" Yuri got up. "Ichigo…." He started towards her but stopped when he saw her tou-san giving him deadly eyes. "It's good to see you! When I heard what happened-!" "Forget about it, Yuri. I took care of that creep." The boy smiled. "Good. I'm so glad you're okay! I don't like Naka Yamamoto! Just say the word and I'll beat the crap out of him for you!" She waved him off. "That's really not necessary, Yuri..." The amethyst eyed girl grinned. "Well, ready to go!" "Yep! Let me get a light jacket." Ichi ran to the coat closet and got one then walked back to the door which her date had held open. "Thank you." "You're welcome." "Ahem!" She grinned looking back at her tou-san. "Sorry, Tou-san!"

She hurried back and gave him a peck on the cheek,

He walked her to the door. "When will you be back?" He directed this question towards Yuri.

Yuri looked at his watch. "It's seven now.. . I planned to first get something to eat. The movie starts at eight and lasts for two hours. So about after ten?"

The novelist glared under hooded eyes at the boy.

Unfortunately, his daughter caught this and glared back.

EiriYuki was actually cowed by his own daughter.

_"Tou-san…"_ Her eyes said in warning.

He backed down.

She smiled at him and took the boys arm affectionately. "Come on, Yuri. We don't want to miss the movie…"

* * *

Ichigo laughed. "That was so funny." "You think so?" He took her hand. "Cause I really like you, Ichigo." "Yuri…" "It's true." "I believe you." She slipped her hands away and popped another fry into her mouth, smiling. "So…" "Yeah?" "Your tou-san…." He shivered. She laughed again. "I'm sorry! He's just like that.. Did he frighten you?" Yuri made a face. "Are you kidding…" She stared sharply at him. "Actually," He laughed putting a hand behind his head. "Yeah. He sort of did." "I'm sorry. He has a tendency to scare most of my boyfriends…" "And your okaa-san? Or is it only you and your tou-san?" "No, I have an okaa-san… My okaa-san's not that bad. He's actually very fun! A bit crazy. Perhaps you've heard of him? Shuichi Shindou?"

"Yeah, I think…" He stopped. "Wait! Did you say he!?"

"Yep!"

"Your okaa-san is Shuichi Shindou, famous J-pop legend?"

"Yeah."

"How'd that happen?"

"It's a…long story. Maybe some other time."

"Whatever you say, Ichi…"

* * *

"Yuki?" Shuichi rubbed his eyes and came down the stairs in search of his lover.

"Yuki?!"

"I'm here, brat!"

The vocalist followed the voice to the other's study. He entered the room and closed the door behind him, leaning on it. "Hello, Yuki…" His voice was silky. "We're all alone…. Ichigo's not here…" This was said in a suggestive manner. "Not now!" "But, Yuki…." Shuichi moved quietly forward and wrapped his arms around the novelist. He then began to nibble at his earlobe gently. "Don't." "Mmmm. Am I seducing you?" He giggled. "Had no idea…" "You're pushing it!" Yuki ground out. "That's the point." He bit down into the other's ear, licking it. His lover groaned, taking Shuichi's raven head into his hands. "Am I…turning you on, Yuki?" "You damn well know it." The young man chuckled. "Good, good." He proceeded to seduce.

"Damn it, brat!" Yuki growled. "I'll show you how to do this right!" He dragged the baka into his lap and continued to show him how it was done.

* * *

"Well, I had a good time, Yuri…." Ichigo said blushing and twirling her hair.

"Me too."

"Guess, I'll see you tomorrow in school."

"Yeah."

He leaned forward.

She leaned forward.

Their lips almost met until.

"Well, well."

They hadn't even heard the door open up.

Ichi groaned and her date cursed.

"Isn't this touching?" Yuki blew cigarette smoke out, staring coldly at the boy who had been about to kiss his daughter.

"Tou-san…"

"Hello, Uesugi-san!"

"Yuri, wasn't it?"

"Y-yes, sir."

"Hope you two had a nice G-rated time?"

"Oh, yes, sir!"

"Good. Now hit the road."

"Tou-san!" Ichigo exclaimed.

"Go to bed, Ichigo." He looked at the boy harshly.

"Well, guess I'll be leaving. See ya, Ichi!" He turned to leave.

"Bye, Yuri! I had a nice time!"

Her tou-san shot her a look.

_I'm going…_ Hers said then she raced up as Yuki closed the door.

* * *

Shuichi had woken up the next morning still feeling ill. After a visit to the bathroom he put on his clothes and went to the store.

He returned and disappeared into the bathroom again for awhile.

* * *

**Knock! Knock! **

"Come in." Yuki said.

Nothing.

"I said, come in." He turned in his seat and looked at the closed door. It opened after awhile and Shu walked in looking stunned, gripping something in his hand. "What!?" His young lover didn't say anything. "What!?" "Yuki?" "What!?" "I know why I felt so poorly yesterday and this morning." "Huh?" The raven haired man held up a device Yuki recognized as a….pregnancy test! "Again!?" He came closer. "It's blue, Yuki." He showed the older man the result. "You're kidding right?" Shuichi shook his head. "No, Yuki." He grinned. "I'm pregnant—again!"

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**Next Chapter: Shuichi's Surprise!**

**A/N: Yeah.. I know what you're thinking! Big surprise eh! Hope you liked it! Review onegai!**

**Thanx: Japanese Vampire Babe II, for this wonderful idea!**

**Thanx also to Crazi 4 Grasper for another thing you'll find out much later!**

**I'll be stopping here for awhile ducks the flying garbage I've been neglecting my other story. Gomen! bows I will also not be going through the whole pregnancy things again. This is Ichi's story so I don't have room for it. Instead I will display the child at the end of the fic, 7 months into the pregnancy (which means you'll get to know the sex of the baby then and all that). Gomen! Gotta go!**


	8. Shuichi's Surprise

**Thanks: ****Guren, Sakuraloveu, Alana-Star/SugarCat, Kitty in the Box, the one who posses Insanity, Shos-lady, Claudita, KendoSakuyamon, Japanese Vampire Babe II.

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Chapter VI

"I can't believe it!" Tatsuha latched onto him. "It happened again. Miracles of miracles!" He started to giggle, patting Shuichi's stomach. "I'm going to be an uncle again!"

"Just great!" He muttered, lighting a cigarette. "I get to deal with Tatsuha the idiot for another nine months."

"Aniki! How can you say that!?"

"Because the last time Shuichi got pregnant you became a brainless idiot."

"Not that brainless…"

"Brainless enough." He blew out smoke.

"Well, I think it's great!"

"You said so last time too…"

"You're acting just the way you did last time, Aniki. You'll be happy when the baby comes."

Yuki didn't say anything further.

"Aniki?"

"I'm thinking about our financial position, you nitwit."

Tatsuha frowned.

"But you and Shuichi have always made enough money to provide for Ichigo. What's one more kid?"

The novelist sighed.

"Hello, everybody!"

He groaned. Déjà vu.

Tohma Seguchi entered the house smiling. "Seguchi." The president came forward. "Well, it seems fortune have blessed the Shindou-Uesugi house once more!" "Yeah…" Tohma offered a bottle of wine, just like he had 16 years ago. "Joyous occasion." "Yuki, can't you be happy?" Shuichi asked then ate some bacon. The blonde sighed. "I'm not upset with you…" "You aren't?" "No." "I'm upset with me." People gave him strange looks.

"Why couldn't I have been more careful?" He began to calculate in this head. "My study is going to have to become a nursery again." "True." Shuichi frowned. "Yuki, you're taking this rather well…" "I don't have a choice do I?" "No." "Well, then I'll guess we'll have to figure this out." "Hey, you two! This a happy time! Buck up!" Tatsuha exclaimed.

The raven-haired young man smiled. "Yes, and this time we're twice as prepared for such an occasion." He turned his head to gaze at his lover. "Right, Yuki?" "Mmmm." "Yuki. No smoking." "Not that shit again…." "Yes that 'shit' again." He leaned over and took the cigarette from his lips. "A new baby. No smoking." "You guys are having a baby?" Ichigo was shocked. "I mean, I thought I was a once in a lifetime thing! Another one?" "I guess so, Ichigo…." The girl was flabbergasted to say the least. "You can't have a baby now!" "Ichi! What's gotten into you?" Shuichi snapped. "Don't be selfish?" "What about my birthday?" "I'll still do the concert…. I'm thin." Yuki smirked. "Well, thin enough." "But what about-? This is going to ruin everything!" She burst into tears and ran upstairs. "Ichi!" "Let her go..." His lover commanded. "What's with her, Yuki? I thought she'd be happy."

"Well, I think it is great!" Kari Seguchi exclaimed from the background somberly.

"Thank you, Kari-chan." Shuichi said with a smile looking at his niece.

Kari was the only child of Mika and Tohma Seguchi. She had big expressive blue eyes and chestnut hair hanging loosely past her shoulders. She had her mother's sense of style even at the age of thirteen, but her father's sense of business—she someday hoped to run N-G Recording Company. For one so young she took matters of business very seriously and made sure to keep her personal life apart from business. Tohma had seen great promise in his child. She turned her head to face her father, "Isn't that correct, Shaucho." 1 "Quite, Kari…" He smiled sadly, "Now if you'll excuse me there is some business I need to attend to." With that he went outside. She frowned. She had noticed the change in her father. Too much of a change. She'd been left alone for one night in their house without either of her parents. Her mother had apparently left her father that much Kari understood. She'd never seen Tohma Seguchi act like such a basket case. It was unsettling.

She'd have to fix that!

The younger girl looked towards the stairs and made her way up them. "Excuse me." She had to speak with her irrational cousin.

* * *

**Knock! Knock!**

"Go away!" Ichigo cried out, crying into her pillow.

"Ichigo, it's me. Kari." A sigh. "Please unlock the door."

The blonde didn't move for awhile. "Ichigo! I don't have a lot of patience and you _know_ that." Ichi nodded. She knew that very well. It's wasn't like Kari was a spoiled brat or a genius child. Far from it; Kari had worked extra hard for her grades always; just happening to have a rock star for a father. Although she excelled in business at a young age, Kari Seguchi still had a while to go. She was determined to work her way up the ladder of her father's company. The brunette didn't believe on things being held out to her on a silver platter. She had higher expectations of herself than that. Ichigo got up slowly and walked over to unlock and open her door. Her cousin entered, unsmiling. That was one thing she lacked—Tohma's beautiful smile. "If this is about the baby.." She began, going back to her bed in the dark room. "No. It's not." Kari was a little irritated. "It's not even about you. Though I don't understand why you can't be happy for them. But that's beside the point!" "What IS your point, Kari?"

"My point?" She crossed over to Ichi's desk, pulled out a chair and sat down. "My father is my point."

"Oji-san?"

"Precisely."

"What about him?"

She rolled her eyes. "You can't be that dumb, Ichigo, can you? It's obvious, isn't it?"

"…."

"My father has been deeply disturbed by my mother's disappearance." She got up and started walking across the room. "Shattered, to be precise."

"Oh. Oh yeah? Poor oji-san…. Something's bothering him besides Aunt Mika's leaving."

"You mean beside the fact that my father has the ultimate hots for yours?"

"Yeah, besides tha- WHAT!?" Ichigo's head snapped up, eyes wide in shock.

"You couldn't be that dense." She slapped her forehead. "What am I saying, your Shuichi Shindou's kid of course you could."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

Kari sighed. "Not bad, Cousin. It just doesn't help that you didn't see it long ago… I saw it." She sat back down. "Believe me it devastated me as well."

"No… No. That can't be true! You're lying! You want to hurt my family I just don't understand why!"

Her cousin looked offended. "I'm lying, eh? What need would I have to lie, Ichigo?"

"I don't know, but you are!" Ichigo shouted. "Why would you say something like that!? Don't you want us to be a happy family?"

The younger girl got up "Of course, Senpai. That's why I'm telling you this. So we can be a family." She moved towards the door. "Now, when you come to reality, maybe you'll learn to accept this as the truth. You're obviously not ready to now."

Kari opened the door and left. "Think about what I said, okay?"

Ichigo sat there, shocked. Her oji-san? The person he'd been lusting after was her tou-san? This was just too weird. Could Kari possibly be right about their fathers? If Tohma Seguchi was involved could Eiri Yuki also be guilty as well? Her eyes teared. Was her tou-san cheating on her okaa-san? Her cousin had never said anything about it. Maybe she hadn't to save Ichi's feelings from being crushed much worse than they already were. And how come Kari's taking this so well? This affected her as well. Maybe her cousin was lying. Tou-san would never crush her okaa-san like that. Why did the younger girl have to act this way? Why? "What did I do to her?" Ichigo blubbered. "I never did anything except try to be her friend…" She threw herself down on her bed and began to weep. Not because of the baby, but because she knew her family was about to be torn wide open apart—and Ichigo was helpless to stop it. Tohma and Eiri had started this ball rolling; now it was up to them to stop it.

She lifted her head. Or was it? Could she save her family from falling apart?

* * *

Yuki looked up and saw Ichigo making her way down the stairs. "So you finally decided to stop being selfish." His face was displeased. "Yeah." Ichigo had more dire things to worry about than okaa-san being pregnant. How would that baby feel, coming into a broken home? She had to fix everything! Not only for aunt Mika, but for this new baby, and to do that she had to go to the root of the problem. She had find out what had happened between Eiri Uesugi and Tohma Seguchi way back when. "Hello, Okaa-san…" She smiled slightly. "Are you okay?" Shuichi smiled back. "I'm fine, sweetie. Feeling much better. Thank you for asking…" He looked at her expectantly. "Did you want something, Ichi-honey?" The girl's eyes teared up for he situation looming before their family and the unborn child. "Oh, Okaa-san!" She tossed herself into his arms and cried. "I'm SO sorry." She continued. "Please forgive me!" "Of course, Ichi…" He kissed the top of her head. "Of course. I'm you okaa-san. I'll always love you not matter what!" Ichigo glanced up, tears still in her eyes. "I know, Okaa-san." She put a hand to his stomach. "You were good to me; I know you'll be great with this baby. I'm happy for you and tou-san!"

She wiped her eyes then got up, acting peppy. "Well, I guess I'll go make you some…"

"Grilled cheese sandwich, please." Shuichi requested.

"Sure, Okaa-san. Just rest. New mothers need rest."

"But I'm not that…" Yuki put a hand to his chest.

"Just listen to someone for once, baka. Okay?"

"Yuki?" His eyes sparkled and he got to his knees, placing his lips to his lover's. "Mmmm."

"Okaa-san, do you want..." Ichigo stopped talking at the sight. She rolled her eyes. "Nevermind." She then ducked back inside the kitchen.

* * *

Later that day, the blonde girl got on her bike and made her way to her cousin, Kari's house. Her uncle Tohma lived in a high rise apartment, a very fancy one. She laid her bike up against the wall and approached the front door, buzzing the Seguchi apartment. "_Seguchi residence…_" Kari's voice came over the speaker. "Kari! It's Ichigo! I need to speak with you." She paused. "It's about our family." "_You've finally seen it my way then? I knew you had brains, Ichi. Come on up!" _Her cousin got off the speaker and the door buzzed open. Ichigo ran into the building and entered the elevator with haste, slapping the bottom for the sixteenth floor. _Kari can help me! I know she can! We both want what's best for the family! _In no time, the elevator bell dinged and Ichigo arrived on the floor, taking a right as she exited the lift and ran towards apartment 316. She made a move to knock but the door swept open before she had the choice. "Good." Kari nodded. "Come in." Her cousin came in, leaving her shoes at the door and slipping into a comfortable pair of slippers. "Follow me." Ichi complied, following her cousin to her bedroom. "Close the door, please." She did so.

"Where's Uncle Tohma?"

"Father finally stopped moping around here and went to N-G pro to run the company." Kari eyed her wryly. "Someone HAS to, Ichigo."

"I guess…"

"If not Tohma Seguchi… Who?" She snorted. "Those bumbling idiots he calls employees? I think not!"

"Umm.."

"So, you want to save the family!?"

"Um, yeah…"

"That's good. Saving the family is what we both should want."

Ichi smiled. "So we're on the same page?"

"In a matter of speaking, yes." She opened the drawer of her imported desk. "The root of our problem is our fathers."

"Yeah, I sort of figured that out."

"Good. We ARE on the same page." She took out a pad of paper. "Then you realize we have to do something about them?"

"Yes." Her cousin shrugged. "But what can we do?"

"That's all up to you, Ichigo? You've used your parents connections to hire a private detective, am I right?"

"Yeah!"

"I thought as much…."

"Was that bad?"

"No. It was a good idea." Kari smiled. "Great step in the right direction." She sighed. "Even I don't know what happened back then."

"And you're pretty nosy, Kari."

"I know. And the proper word in inquisitive."

"Same thing…" She grinned.

The other girl rolled her eyes. "So we'll both have to try our hardest to what happened to Eiri and Tohma. Something that changed their lives forever…"

"Agreed."

"I'll try to find out what happened on my end…"

"….And I'll do the same on mine."

"Right."

Ichigo sighed. "Do you really think we can do this, Kari?" Kari made what Ichigo took to be her smile and said, "I know we can! You're smart, Ichigo. And nosy…"

"That's inquisitive…"

Her cousin smirked at this.

* * *

Ichi after this made her way to N-G Production, intent on starting her side of the investigation. She knew Aunt Mika would be a good place to start, but Aunt Mika couldn't be found. She had two things to do! Her cell phone rang on her hip. She rushed to pick it up. "This is Ichigo! Talk to me!" "_Hey, Ichi-__baby…_" A loathsome voice rumbled over the phone. She gagged. It was that bastard Yamamoto! "HOW THE HELL DID YOU GET THIS NUMBER, YAMAMOTO!?" The line was quiet. "_That's my little secret, baby…_" "No, that's called invasion of privacy, you perv!" Ichigo was starting to become VERY angry. "When I find out how you got my number, you snake, I'll tear your damn snake head off!" "Big talk, Shindou! Big talk." Laugh. "Can't pull your tricks over the phone can you?" Her anger rose. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, ASSHOLE!" "Be nice, Shindou..." Yamamoto's voice became harsh. "You're just blowing your chances away to be with me!" "Like I want one!" She snarled back. "You know you want me. Every girl does." _That's because they're all bimbos! _"Not this girl! Listen to this, Yamamoto!" And with that she clicked off the phone in the jerk's ear.

She grinned, imagining the big jerk cursing up a storm.

* * *

**Knock! Knock! **

Tohma Seguchi lifted his head, tears in his blue eyes, phone still glued to his ear. He hung it up. "Yes? Who is it?" He tried to sound all right, but he was broken down inside. Completely shattered. "_It's me! Your niece, Ichigo!_" Tohma swallowed his tears and pain, banishing it to make himself look presentable to her. The door opened and Ichigo stepped inside. "Konichi wa, little Blossom." He was doing his best at being strong in front his niece. "Konichi wa, Ojj-san!" She replied brightly.

* * *

Or so it seemed… She knew something was wrong with her oji-san. It was obvious he'd been crying. Even from here his "little Blossom" could see the wet spots on his cheeks—and she didn't like it! Her family was falling apart before her very eyes….

She had to do something about it!

* * *

**1: Shaucho: President**

**Next Chapter: Into the Past**

**A/N: YEAH! FINISHED! What could possibly be terrorizing Tohma. Find out in the next chapter.**


	9. Intermission 2:Teenage Business Tycoon

A/N: Yes, this is another profile. This is it's for my new character Kari (and she's thickened the plot hasn't she, don't you love her?).

* * *

**Teenage Business Tycoon**

Name: Kari Seguchi

Age: 13

Sex: Female

Eye Color: Cerulean

Hair Color: Chestnut

Weight: None of your business!

Height: 5'2"

Marital Status: Single

Friend(s): Takai (male)

Parent(s): Mika and Tohma Seguchi

Sibling(s): None.

Uncle(s): Tatsuha Uesugi, Eiri Yuki, and Shuichi Shindou

Aunt(s): Maiko Shindou

Grandparent(s): Mr. Uesugi

Cousin(s): Suguru Fujisaki and Ichigo Uesugi

Pet(s): None

Favorite Color: Blue

Favorite Food: Rice balls

Favorite Music: Classical

Books: Financial guides

Best at: Business

Likes: Being treated like an adult

Dislikes: Idiots

Quote: "I'll have to check my schedule."

**Bio: Kari is the only daughter of Mika and Tohma Seguchi, born two years after her cousin, Ichigo. Growing up, she worked hard in school, getting good grades. Not a prodigy but smart nonetheless. As she grew into a young lady, she attained a flair for her business (her father's in particular) and took on her mother's fashion sense. She doesn't have a problem with her cousin (she respects her in fact), just insists she's too peppy at times. One wonders if she isn't Fujisaki's kid instead. **


	10. Into the Past

**A/N: Do I enjoy torturing Tohma… No. Tohma happens to be my all time favorite character. I love him AND his clothes. I just wanted to change the story pace, and he's the best character to help me. Sorry Tohma. **

**Thanks: ****cryearthstearsfalltou, Azez--Sage's Soul, Dark-Pheonix-Empress, Alana-Star/SugarCat, clueless97, Stepher-chan39, Guren.**

**Chapter VII**

"Yes, little Blossom?"

Her beloved oji-san tried his hardest to hide the pain that was in his heart, but he could not fool Ichigo. Not for a minute. She was very good at that; reading people's emotion. She had a very special gift Tohma Seguchi had once said. "I-I…" Ichi could not get the words out that she wanted to speak. Her tongue seemed tied. "Well, I-that is…" She scratched her head and cursed to herself. Damn it why couldn't she find the words. "I was just coming to see if you needed anything, Oji-san!" Her voice was bright. She was a terrible liar. He smiled his best 'fake' smile and shook his head. "No, I'm quite all right, little Blossom." "Nothing I can file for you?" "No, I have a secretary for that." She slowly made her way to him. "Oji-san… We're family, right?" "Of course…" He folded his hands. 'Then we can tell each other stuff, right?" "Of course. What is it that you have done?" Tohma knew where this was leading. "Not me, Uncle Tohma. You." "Me?" "Yes. If there's something that's hurting you….inside…" She bressed her fingertips to her breast bone. "You tell your little Blossom. I'm family, Oji-san. Okaa-san always said, if theirs a problem in your family one should fix it…"

Tohma didn't say anything for awhile.

"Right?"

Her oji-san sighed heavily. "Ichigo…"

"Oji-san?"

His eyes became very sad and he shook his head negatively. "It's nothing, young one. It's something I must deal with on my own." "Oji-san…" The pain in his voice pierced her heart strongly, making it ache. "Anything else? I really am quite busy…" He picked up a folder and looked at the document inside. "You may go." He returned to the astute business man once again. He acted like everything was all right, but she knew different. She knew her oji-san was hurting, and she was pretty sure it had everything to do with Aunt Mika. "I've got to find her…" She murmured, closing the large door quietly behind her.

Tohma Seguchi sighed heavily, placing his face in his hands. The tears flowed from his cerulean eyes. "Oh, Mika-san…."

_"Hello, Tohma…" Her voice was emotionless._

_"Where are you?"_

_"That's not important right now…"_

_"What do you mean!? Of course it's important! Mika-san, where are you!?" Tohma's voice became frantic. _

_"I can't say right now… Not now." _

_"When are you…coming home?"_

_"I can't say that either."_

_He gulped. "Will you ever be coming home?"_

_"I don't know. I need to think about things, Tohma…" _

He lifted his face from his hands, tears staining his cheeks. His heart felt like it had been smashed into a million unfixable pieces. He hid his hands in his face once more, hoping to get all the tears out of his system before confronting N-G's newest label. He, Tohma Seguchi, had to maintain his image.

**_Searching through silence, trying to find my future._**

**_all I seem to grasp are broken bits of light. Cutting_**

**_myself upon the glass of ultimate reality. Bleeding_**

**_out my life._**

_**I'm crawling, crying, dying on the floor. my memory drowning, going down...through a blood red haze**_

Tohma leaned against the doorjamb, watching the lithe female vocalist croon out her painful song into the microphone. Her body swayed slightly to the music her back up band played out. The tune was morbid. He recognized it as her debut single. _Red Haze_. Her fans called her Rumiko Saori. She was a stunning young beauty with vivacious magenta eyes and silky straight silver hair which seemed to always be pulled up in a high ponytail. She wore black halter top that exposed much of her flat stomach and tight dark blue jeans, riding low on her hips. Her neck was swan-like and she had the face and body of a goddess. Rumikoi-san was one of the most talented female vocalist's Tohma had ever had the pleasure to sign on. She was a sight to see!

**_Pain is like a sweet song,. a sharp knife grazing my memory. _**

**_Metallic shiny pain. It's tearing out the fragments of my soul_**

_**While, waltzing on the fragile glass of life...**_

_As he watched her, he found himself remembering to the day he'd discovered her. He'd been dragged along by Noriko-chan and Ryuichi to a popular Japanese karaoke bar called the Silver Dragon, set in the heart of downtown Tokyo. She'd walked on to the stage confidently, wearing tight leather pants and shiny silver tube top, her hair loose to her shoulders, a sparkly barrette in it. He lips had worn a slight coat of lip gloss and she spoke sexily as she'd told the DJ to play Nittle Grasper's Sleepless Beauty. She'd sung Ryuichi Sakuma's part with great finesse, her body moving, hips gyrating, full lips singing the words perfectly. He had sat stunned, while Ryuichi's eyes had lit up. The vocalist had pumped his fist in the air, cheering on the young woman. "Isn't she great, Tohma!?" Ryu-chan had asked excitedly. Tohma had nodded back in confirmation. "Yes, she is rather good." Noriko admitted, looking at her friend through the corner of her light eyes. _

_Tohma had stared, entranced, he knew he could make something of her. She could be something, if she excepted his business proposal. "Tohma…." Noriko had poked him. "Tohma?" He had shaken his head. "Huh?" "Your staring. What are you thinking in that diabolical brain of yours?" He had laughed. "Hardly diabolical." "Whatever. I repeat, what are you thinking of?" "I'm…thinking of offering her a record deal…." Ryuichi had perked up at this. "A record deal for Saori-san!?" Kumagoro had perched on his right shoulder. "Yes." He had watched her end the song, hanging her head low. "I'm going to do it!" He had gotten up and started towards the stage. "Let's give a round applause for Rumiko Saori-san!" The announcer had said, Tohma's eye still fixed on the rising music princess. "Rumiko-san…" "Huh?" Tohma had looked up and stared into the woman's brilliant magenta eyes, he hadn't been able to speak. "Ummm.." It was very few times he, Tohma Seguchi was at a loss for words. "Did you wish to speak with me?" Her voice had been…bouncy, he'd never truly known what hid behind those eyes of hers as they'd bore into his. _

"_I'd like to offer you the deal of a lifetime…" He'd finaly said, offering Rumiko Saori his business card. _

Tohma sighed coming back to reality.

"Oi! Seguchi-san!" Rumiko's voice broke through his musings.

He brought his head up looking into the legend's eyes. They were dancing with excitement. "Didn't hear you come in! What brings the "great" Seguchi-san to see little ol' me?" She laughed. "I doubt very much that…" He laughed too. "Don't sell yourself short, Saori-san." She smiled and motioned for her boss to come in, picking up a soda from a nearby table. "Anything you wanted, Seguchi-san?" "Just to check your progress…." He watched her delicately sip at her beverage. "I see, you are back to singing old songs again." Rumiko brought the can down from her lips with a smile. "Oh, it's not old to me…. _Red Haze _always will be new, it's a part of my past. It's what I feel, Seguchi-san…" Her voice and eyes took on a sad tone. Tohma's heart seemed to ache as he thought of what he had brought up for her, and what it was bringing up for him. They both were sharing painful thoughts. He sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, Saori-san…" She pepped up immidiatenly, shoving a strand of silver hair from her eyes. "That's all right, Segichi-san. You'd think I'd put it behind me all ready…" She set the soda down. "I doubt any of us truly put our pain behind us…."

She looked up to face her boss once more.

"That's right…"

"Each of us has our own weight to bear, Saori-san…" He sighed. "You have yours and I have mine…... But today that is not important! What is important is the fact you'll be performing with Nittle Grasper as the opening act for Bad Luck's farewell concert." She nodded. "I know." "So, you must keep yourself in tip top shape." Right, I will. You can count on me, Seguchi-san." He nodded, getting back to business. "That's what I like to hear. Carry on, Saori-san." "Will do, boss!" She chirped back, watching as Tohma Seguchi closed the door behind him. Her back musician, a drummer by the name of Akira entered the room at that time and smiled. "That was great, Rumiko!" "Yeah, you're going to knock them dead at Shindou-san's farewell concert!" Another man chimed in. Rumiko nodded. "I thought so too…" She returned to her soda, taking a long deep drink from the aluminum can. "Sooo…" Akira spoke up again, his hazel eyes piercing hers. "Are we going to start it off with _Red Haze_ or…" He flipped through the book. "…._Full Moon_?" The female vocalist didn't say anything at first, just took another gulp of her drink. "Rumi-chan?" Takashi, the guitarist started in. "Neither." "Neither!?" "No…" She set it down. "Well start the opening number with _Damned _and finish with _Full Moon_."

"Sure. What ever you say, hon."

She nodded.

"Good."

Kari Seguchi rose from her desk and crossed over to her beside table, picking up the ringing cordless phone. "Hello, this is Seguchi." She answered it exactly like her father. "Kari-san." "Yes." The line was silent for a moment longer. "I have the information you requested. It's not much…." "As long as it's something!" "Where should I meet you, Kari-san? Your house?" "No! Too close to home…Too risky…" She bit her lip and thought about this, blue eyes narrowing in concentration. "Oshida-san." "Yes, Kari-san!" "Meet me at the cultural bookstore at the corner of Nagasaki & Hokkaido." "Yes, Kari-san." "Very good…" She hung up the phone and graced her lips with a tight smile. "Well, some news is better than no news." Kari brushed her hair behind her back and paused for a moment then reached over to pick up the cordless again. She began to dial her cousin's cell phone number. "Pick up, Ichigo." She waited awhile. _"Yes, this is Ichigo speaking. Talk to me!" _Her cousin said upon answering. "Ichigo, this is Kari." Her voice was serious. _"Hey, Kari-chan, what's up!?" _"You sound awfully chipper for someone who found out her own uncle is trying to break up her happy home." The older girl didn't say anything for a moment. "I'm sure it wasn't intentional, Kari…" "Really?" "Well-I-uh…" "You really don't know what to think do you?" "Well..no…not really…." She sighed on the other end. "I didn't think so." Kari paused. "I have some news that might be useful to us though. It will perhaps ease the mystery and help this family reassemble."

"Really?" Her cousin sounded both anxious and fearful at the same time.

"Yes." She looked to her clock. "Meet me at the cultural bookstore on…"

"I know where it is."

"Good. Meet me there in twenty minutes, that's where my informant will be. We'll handle it from there as soon as we get the information he has."

"All right! Ja ne!"

The phone on the other end clicked off and Kari gathered her things, preparing to make her way to the meeting place.

Ichigo clicked off her cell phone, her fingers slightly trembling. Did she really want to know the truth of the matter? What _was_ between their fathers? Did Eiri Yuki and Tohma Seguchi have _that _kind of relationship? She gulped thinking about the shounen-ai anime she'd watched in the past weeks. Ichi shook her head. No. She wouldn't think about that! The best thing to think about was fixing her family if anything else. If she did have to deal with _their relationship_, well she'd cross the bridge when she got to it! She picked up the pace on her bike and started off towards the bookstore. It would take her some time, seeing as how it was halfway across town. For now, it was one step at a time.

"Yuki!!!!!!!!!" Shuichi hollered from the upstairs bedroom.

The novelist, irritated, stopped typing and ground his teeth loudly. "Damn it what does that brat want!" He stormed out of the room and shouted up the stairs. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT!? AND WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HOME ANYWAY!?" He listened as his koibito no baka made his way down the stairs. "I threw up all over K's shoes today, and-and…" He sounded as if he was going to cry, rubbing the back of his hand over his eyes, lower lip trembling. "He yelled at me and threatened to blow my brains out over the ceiling if I didn't sing! He was being mean!" Yuki groaned and held his head, the pounding starting. This was what he had dreaded; the symptoms of eminent pregnancy. First, came the mood swings and the incessant crying. One would think that was normal for Shuichi but this was more than usual. He began to wail long and loud. Damn it! His head continued to throb mercilessly as his young lover's crying went on. It started to hurt immeasurably. Yuki gripped his head and gritted his teeth once more, making a beeline for the kitchen and the aspirin. "Yuki?" Shuichi voice stopped whining just a bit. "Are you listening?" He came through the swinging door.

"Yuki!"

He'd spoke too soon.

_Kuso!_

"Yuki…"

"What….?"

"Would you make me some green tea?"

The novelist stayed silent.

"Yuki?"

He sighed. "I heard you." He filled the kettle with water and set it on top of the stove. "So…how long will you be gracing our home THIS time?" "Oh, you know the usual. Nine months." "I see…" Shuichi frowned He approached his 'spouse'. "Yuki, you're acting really strange today." The blonde leaned over. "We're having another baby…" He spoke and said this as if it had just dawned on him. "Yes, I know, Yuki…" "I better hurry up and finish my book so I can start on another one." He picked his head up and looked around the kitchen. "I wonder if this will be big enough for one more person." Shuichi smiled brightly "Of course it wil, Yuki! And unlike last time, I don't plan to spend my whole time here with you…well just till the concert that is. I'm going to go into the studio this time." Yuki turned to look at him, amber eyes boring in. "Really!" He went to the cupboard and fetched a package of sodium crackers. "Then when the concert is over, I'll be a full time mother." He smiled happily. "Again." Yuki slowly smiled. If Shuichi was happy, then so was he.

His young lover gave a tiny laugh. "Wow. It's good thing this happened when it did."

"Huh?"

"I mean this way I can still perform."

"Hn.."

"Yuki, shouldn't you set the tea on?"

"Huh… Oh yeah". He turned to the kettle and started the task briskly. Shuichi hummed brightly to himself. "Things will be great, Yuki!" He touched his belly. "You'll see!"

Kari accepted the large manila envelope from her informant, looking up at the brown eyed man in the grey suit. "Thank you, Oshida-san. Expect a little extra something in your paycheck next week." The man bowed to Tohma Seguchi's daughter. "Yes, Kari-san…" "You are dismissed." Oshida left and passed her cousin, Ichigo Uesugi as he turned the corner. "I thought you might be back here." Ichigo approached her with a look of anticipation, casting a backward glance where the man had gone. "Who was that?" Kari shook her head. "It doesn't matter." She hefted the folder to her cousin's view. "This is what matters." The older girl reached out to touch it. "Is it…" "It's not much, but it's something start with…" She reached for the flap of the envelope. "Do you….want to do it or should I?" "We-I-um…" She became tongue-tied. Her young cousin waited. "It shouldn't matter who opens it, right?" She finally said. "No, it shouldn't." A pause. "I'll ask again, Ichigo, you or me…" Kari was very calm for what was a life-shattering moment. Ichigo bit her lip, heart and eyes filled with limitless worries. She pushed the envelope back to the young girl. "You do it!"

Kari nodded somberly and undid the tie holding down the flap. After she had done this, without hesitation she opened it and reached in. When she did this she drew out a single piece of white computer paper. She placed the envelope on a shelf next to her and leaned against it, scanning the page intently. "Well?" Ichigo was clearly on edge. "What does it say?" She edged closer to her cousin, anxious. The chestnut haired girl's eyes were still scanning the page. "Kari-chan?" "One second." "Kari!" The other girl read for a few more seconds, not missing a single detail "Kari!" "I'm finished." She brought the paper down from her face and looked her cousin straight in the eye. "Well, what does it say!? Does it help us!?" "To some extent…" "Well?" "We only have a name to go by…." "A name?" "Yes, a name…" "Well?" "Well what?" Ichigo gave an irritated look. "What's the name?"

"The name…"

Her cousin held her breath.

"It's….Kitazawa."

**Next Chapter: The Path to Take**

**TA DA! I bet you're happy I finally sent this in, ne!? So am I! And I'm happy with it! Please review, okay!? **

**A/N: Did you notice the street names I listed are acutally cities in Japan? lol I couldn't think of anything else. So sue me. lol**


	11. The Path to Take

**A/N: To the person who wondered. Rumiko Saori is my own original character, but don't get me wrong. I just didn't throw her in there, she has a apart in the story line. I will explain more about Rumiko as soon as possible. Second, I hope to keep this story evenly balanced….**

**Thanks: ****Guren, Sakuraloveu, Shirubaa Kitsune, Shos-lady, clueless97, Notta Writer, Vera-sama.

* * *

**

**Chapter VIII**

"So…" Ichigo peddled slowly alongside her pedestrian cousin. "What are we going to do now that we have this name?"

Kari looked up through her blue eyes at the elder girl and clenched the manila envelope tighter. "I thought we might get to the root of our problem. That's what we wanted, right?" "Right….." She took out the paper and examined it once more, walking down the streets of Tokyo. "And it's say here that Kitazawa's last known residence was New York City, which is in America…" "And?" "The only thing is Kitazawa has been dead for…more than ten years at least." Her cousin's face fell. "What? You didn't tell me that! What good's a name, if the person behind it is dead?" "It's not much, but I think we'll find the source of what we're looking for in New York and behind the name of Kitazawa…." Ichigo peddled to keep up her cousin's fast pace. "Couldn't we have just looking him up on the net?" "We could have, but we would have still needed to go to New York. It's most important." Ichigo's cell phone rang. She picked it up. "Yes, this is Seguchi." The blonde gave her a side-ways look, listening in on her cousin's conversation. "Yes, that's fine" Kari looked to Ichigo. "What time do we need to be at the airport?" _Airport,_ Ichigo mouthed, eyes wide.

Her young cousin put a finger up to her lips. "4:15?" She looked to the slim watch on her even slimmer wrist. "Yes, that will be fine. Yes, we'll be there. Be on time to pick us up. Thank you…" She punched the phone off. "Airport!?" Ichigo murmured. "What airport? Who said anything about an airport!?" The blonde was starting to get spastic. "Welll.." Ichigo halted the bike as her cousin propped a hand on her hip and said astutely, "How do you expect us to get the information we need, Ichigo?" "But our parents-!" "I'll handle them. Besides our parents is whom we are doing this for, if they so happen to find out, they'll understand our motive." Ichi thought about this. "Your not chickening out, are you Ichi-chan?" This was said in uncharaterstly sweet way. "No way!" Her grip tightened on her handle bars. "How long do I have to get ready?" "That's the spirit!" Kari took on Tohma Seguchi's smile for just a second. "You have?" She looked at her watch again. "Precisely two hours." Ichigo's went wide as she started to push off. "Then I better get my butt in gear!" "Hurry up!" "Where do I meet you?" She hollered over her shoulder, riding away. "My house. Don't be late or I'll leave you behind!" The last thing she saw of her young cousin was the sweep of chestnut hair floating in the wind as she turned the other way. "I won't!"

* * *

Ichigo threw clothes haphazardly into her suit case after she'd checked what the weather was like in NYC. Her thoughts began to race as she thought of her parents, her uncle, and the name Kitazawa. The question was how were they all linked. How did this Kitazawa fit in to everything? She didn't know….but she was sure as hell going to find out! She then closed her suitcase and threw her purse over her shoulder, dialing her cousin's number immediately. "Hello, Kari…" She spoke. "I'm ready. I'll be over there in…fifteen minutes…" She clicked off the cell phone in her hand and started out the door when she spotted a picture of her parents on her beside table. Ichi ran back and picked it up, stuffing it in her purse. _(I love you…Okaa-san…Tou-san….) _Looking, around with a final glance she sighed and exited the room, making a last call to a cab service. Ichigo's eyes studied the pattern on the concrete as she thought about what her cousin had said. About what had been revealed…. Kitazawa… He was dead yet he could be of help? She bit her lip. _Kari had better be right about that. _She wondered also how they would evade their parents. "Hmmmm…" She'd have to leave that to her cousin's capable hands. The brunette wasn't business like for nothing; she had her father's ways to her. _Ichigo…._ The blonde girl had looked up. _This is for the good of the family…._

She had nodded but sometimes she wasn't so sure. There had been something in Kari's tranquil eyes.

**Honk! Honk!**

Ichi looked up and spotted the cab down at the curb. She hopped off her suitcase and watched the slim driver get out of the car and sidle towards her. "Are you the one?" he asked. The guy was tall and slim; kind of cute if you liked his type. "Yeah…" She started down the stairs watching as he reached over to pick up her case. "Watch out its heavy." The man lifted it and half fell over. "Kuso!" He swore. "No kidding!" She blushed. "Sorry, I tried to warn you." Ichigo hopped down the steps, walking calmly to the cab. She opened the door and jumped in, sliding along the seat. He heard the man mutter and swear behind her as he struggled to put her heavy suit case into the trunk. She grinned and leaned back, waiting for him. He eventually made his way to the front of the cab, jerking open the door and climbing in. He slammed it and started up the vehicle. "Where to?" He adjusted the mirror. She gave him her cousin's address. "And step on it!" She commanded. "Right, little lady…" She stepped on the gas pedal making the car shoot forward. The blonde sat back in her seat, biting her lip. _Tou-san…._

_::Flashback::_

_"Oji-san! Tou-san!" The little blonde girl ran to her uncle and her father, her beautiful golden hair bouncing as she hugged Kumagoro tight. "Little Blossom!" Tohma's voice was soft as the falling snow that pelted down on them. She kept running towards her most two favorite male figures but did not succeed in making it to them. Ichigo fell into the snow, her Kuma-chan thrown a few feet forward. Yuki gasped slightly rushing forward with Tohma at his heels. He swept his daughter up into his arms, dusting the snow off her face. The president of N-G picked up the stuffed rabbit and handed it to the four year-old.. "Thank you, Oji-san!" she chirped snuggling into her tou-san's embrace. "Are you all right?" He asked, walking over to a bench. "Yes, Tou-san…" She chewed on the bunny's ear. "As should be expected, right little Blossom…" Her oji-san's voice was welcoming and she stared him over Kumagoro's head smiling. She was a precious little angel. _

_::End Flashback::_

"Kid? Kid?" The driver looked over his shoulder at her. "Kid, we're here."

Ichigo snapped out of her stupor and nodded, pushing her way out of the car. "Hold the cab…" She jumped out. "I'll be back!" She raced up the steps and was about ring the doorbell for her cousin's apartment, when Kari Seguchi herself stepped out and nodded. She looked to the cab waiting and nodded once more. "Good." She passed something to the older girl. "This is our flight information, Senpai…" Ichi stopped. "Senpai?" She said baffled. "Since WHEN have you started calling me Senpai?" The brunette brushed passed her and met the driver. He popped the trunk and lifted her suitcase into the trunk along with Ichigo's. "Starting now…." Kari crossed over to the other side, facing the street and opened her door. Ichigo got in after her cousin, opening up her packet and looking at their tickets. "Nonstop flight to New York, New York." She scanned it. "Duration: 13 hours…." "Yes. It will be long." "But how long until our parents notice we're not even on the continent?" Her younger cousin whipped out a high-priced graphing calculator and started rapidly typing in numbers. "Give or take the change in time….?" "What does that have anything to do with it!?" "Give them by tomorrow at noon…." She put the object away, placing into her laptop satchel. "Will we even be there by then…." "I'd say will make it there a little past midnight…."

"Okay…."

"I've booked us a giant suite at one of the hotel's there…." She took out her palm pilot, scrolling through the options. "We'll check under my father's name. That should keep the snoops at bay."

"Hopefully." She sighed.

"Don't look so glum, cousin…." Kari kept scrolling through the palm pilot. "Everything will be fine."

* * *

"See!" Kari spoke energetically to her cousin who was staring out the airplane window. "All's well. Nothing has gone wrong."

"Let's hope it stays that way…"

"It will." She rolled her eyes. "You're such a worrier, Ichigo. You got that from both of your parents I suppose."

A sigh.

"This is for our family. We can do NO wrong when doing this for the family…"

Ichigo turned to face the girl.

"You're right…."

"Of course I am! I'm the brains of this operation after all!" Kari smiled smugly at this, belting herself tightly into the seat as the plane began to roll down the runway. "Yeah…" The blonde turned on her side. "Look I'm gonna get some rest. Wake me in an hour and a half, kay?" "All right. Then we can discuss our plans." "Fine…" Ichi said on a yawn, snuggling into the pillow as the plane lifted off the ground. She pulled her own personal blind fold over her eyes and fell asleep in seconds. She was just like her okaa-san in that matter. As the daughter of Shuichi Shindou she could fall asleep at the drop of a hat, so to speak.

* * *

Kari looked over at the older girl and shook her head, delving further into her palm pilot. Last night, she had dug up as much information on New York as she could, besides what she already knew due to her father. She crossed her legs, bit her lip when she came to a particular piece of information then quickly dismissed it. It wouldn't help them. What she did know was that Tohma Seguchi's and Eiri Uesugi's relationship was much more than it seemed. Where Eiri appeared to be aloof most of the time when concerning his feelings, the young girl could tell her uncle was not showing the public the whole side of himself. The writer, Eiri Yuki was cold and heartless (well he'd warmed up over the years), that's how he had portrayed himself over the years. The person Eiri Uesugi was a healed person, having Shindou-san's love to keep him safe. Shuichi Shindou was like a giant shield against all odds, he had saved Yuki from himself in the past. He had done things her father, Tohma Seguchi could not since New York. Whatever had happened there…… She bit her lip once more and scrolled along inside the palm for a bit more. She found several interesting things, but none that would help her. Kari stopped scrolling looking at a name, followed by a number. She only hoped her contact in New York could help her unravel this mystery.

* * *

Ichigo woke up to incessant tapping of her cousin. "Hmmm?" "It's been an hour and a half we have to discuss some things." Kari's voice intoned.

She nodded, rolling over and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"The root of our problem lies in New York…."

"So you've told me."

"I have a contact there who can help us on their end."

She took a breath. "My palm pilot hasn't given me anymore ideas but I have a few…"

"Go on."

"When your father was young he was shunned by most Japanese school children for his odd hair and eyes…."

"I'm aware of that."

She shot her cousin a look. "May I continuie?"

"Yeah, go ahead."

"Any way…. Because of his hard life, my father took it upon himself to take Uncle Eiri away from Japan. He transferred him to the Americas—New York City to be precise—in hopes that the younger man would have a better life there." She paused to take a breath. "Eventually he met a man named Kitazawa…." "And?" "And that's all we're aware of at the moment…." She put the electronic device away. "We'll have to reach New York before we can get anymore information that might be useful to us." Ichigo sighed. "That's all…." "I'm afraid so. Maybe we can find some information when we go to visit Kitazawa's grave, he's been buried there…" "Do we HAVE to?" The thought of visiting that monster's grave made her stomach turn and her skin crawl. Thinking of what he had done to her poor, beloved tou-san made Ichigo want to retch. "Damn Kitazawa…."

* * *

New York City

* * *

Kari and Ichigo stepped outside of the airport, her cousin looking around. "What are you looking for?" Ichi asked. The younger girl looked around for a while longer then pointed to a long black stretch limo. "There! That's our ride!" The blonde's eyes widened and she squealed in joy. "AWESOME!" She grabbed her cousin's wrist and ran haphazardly with their suitcases trailing them. "ICHI!" Kari hollered, her arm being half-pulled out of its socket. The man holding up a huge poster bored that said 'Seguchi' looked truly frightened by her form hurtling towards him. "Ichigo!" The younger girl yanked her wrist away, smoothed hair and approached the guy with as much dignity as she could muster at the moment. She approached the man. "I'm Seguchi." Kari announced, holding her head high. "You're Seguchi?" The driver looked skeptical. "That's right! Kari Seguchi." She narrowed her blue eyes, pinning the man with them. She dug her hand into her sheik purse and pulled out her wallet, presenting her ID to the American. She and Ichigo were fluent in English thanks to their fathers. The man took it, looked it over and passed it back to her. He walked to the back door and opened it. "After you, young miss…." She got in daintily, her rambunctious cousin hopping in after her. "Hey!" Ichigo giggled, "Sorry, Kari…." "Just watch where you bounce next time, okay…" She sighed, taking out her palm pilot, listening to the limo driver putting their baggage into the trunk.

"Where to now?" Ichigo asked, settling in.

"Hotel." Her blue eyes scanned the pilot. "We need to drop our things off and maybe take a nap. I'm feeling that jet lag…."

Her elder cousin started digging in her own purse for something. "Okay!' She bit into something talking with her mouth full. "No prawblem..."

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Ichigo…" She looked up briefly. "It's very unbecoming of a lady."

Ichigo frowned at this, swallowing the remnants of her chocolate bar. She folded her legs under her bottom, the shorts of her red overalls riding up on her thighs. "Go on…." Next she took out a box of Pocky—chocolate Pocky to be precise—and began munching on a chocolate covered wafer stick. She then began to munch on it noisily in Kari's ear, looking over her shoulder. "MUST you do that?" The older girl pulled back, a look on innocence on her face. "Do what?" She munched again. "That!" Ichi frowned, still not understanding. The Seguchi child snatched the box of Pocky out of her hands. "This!" She shoved it up into her face. "Oh…." "Sorwy…" She said around the mouthful of sweets. Kari handed the treat back in disgust. "Munch quieter would you?" She asked, turning her face towards the window. In that one sense she was Shuichi's child. Both of her parents might have had a fetish for strawberry treats and that might've been her name, but Ichigo loved chocolate Pocky ALL the way! "I'm sorry, Kari…" A smile quirked up at the edge of the younger girl's mouth. "Its okay, Ichigo, I'm just very cranky." There wasn't much to see in New York at night, she thought as the limo passed Central Park. "Kari?" Ichi questioned after a second. "Yes, Cousin?" "Do you…do you think our family will be all right?"

Kari smiled confidently. "I'm sure it will!"

A lone woman with chestnut hair sat in her bedroom at her family's place in Kyoto. She lazily brushed her hair, looking into the mirror at herself. Her heart ached. Tears leaked out of her eyes and down her cheeks. "Why now?" she murmured. "I have ALWAYS loved him, Father." She put the brush down. "Why now out of all these years did he decide to act upon his lust?" She thought about the life they had shared, she thought about their child. "Tohma, how could you do this to her…to me?" She had a tendency of talking to dead air nowadays. More tears streamed down the lovely woman's face. "Oh Tohma….."

"Shuichi!" Hiroshi Nakano yelled, setting down his guitar once more for the third time in the day.

"I'm sorry, Hiro…" His face was green. "Seems like the sickness decided to…." His cheeks bloated. "Excuse me…" He ran out of the recording studio.

Suguru Fujisaki, K-san, and Sakano-san watched the symptoms of motherhood overtake their star once more. Fujisaki sighed, running a hand through his hair. "This is hopeless….back in the days he was a halfwit. Now he's a halfwit with a tendency to get pregnant. I can not believe this." He sat down frustrated. "Ease up, Fujisaki…" Hiro patted the younger man's shoulder. "Its not his fault Yuki-san is potent. " The green-haired man muttered back, "No one told him to spread his legs…He knows we have a concert!" "Now, now…" Sakano-san intervened, worried as ever. "We don't want to…" "We'll do fine, Sakano-san." Shuichi interrupted looking a bit better. "I think my vocals are up to par…." "Hopefully." Fujisaki interjected. "Anyway, just whatever you do don't throw up on stage, ne?" "I won't!" He walked back up to the microphone in a pair of black ankle length cargo pants and his customary orange hoodie. "Okay…"He positioned his feet just right. "…Let's take this from the top. This is a brand new song so I want it right." The keyboardist started up the song with a flick of the wrist. _"Standing on the cold and frozen water, bleeding out my soul. I reach out for your hand and suddenly you let go….. And I cry because I can't seem to shine anymore…."_ Another voice broke in, _"Shine for me, be sparkly for me a voice says from the dark…."_

Shuichi turned to see his long time friend and idol, Ryuichi Sakuma singing with him; the song 'Sparkling' was to be a duet. He looked the same as ever only sixteen years more grown up, no longer carrying the Kumagoro he'd cherished for so long. The younger vocalist had always thought it was so kind of Ryuichi to give Shuichi's child the older vocalist's prized possession. He nodded for the brunette to continue. _"Light up my life, light up my light, Make me sparkly shiny dancing new! Give shiny to my voice…." _Shuichi added his own to his part._ "And make me sing again. Like an angel with her wings. Let me be SPARKLY!" _They smiled as they knew the chorus was coming up, _"Soooo…" _More smiling. _"Open up your eyes and see the kaleidoscopic rainbow. Don't close your soul. But don't leave it to bleed dead and dry… Hearts pound fast in my ears it rises. See the joy that is… Sparkling! Shining! Your heart pours out with incessant melodies!" _Hiro jammed on his guitar, grinning as their other band mate played with such finesse. "Sakano and K stood back and nodded. Tatsuha watched from the side lines, watching his Ryu-chan belt out another tune; the two vocalist's voices blending together smoothly. Shuichi began to sing solo again as the song finished.

_"Dry your tears and end your fears, let your heart guide your voice…. For now you've become what you were, you can dance as you did, and now you're shiny once again!!!!!!!!!!!"_ At the last line Ryuichi came in as scheduled, his voice loud and clear.

When the song ended, there were claps coming from outside. Members of the N-G staff had sat outside Studio 2 to get a listen on Shuichi Shindou's brand new song. The applause became much louder. "You hear that Ryu-chan!?" The raven-haired singer yelled. "It's a hit all ready!" Ryuichi nodded back, "Yeah, Shu-chan! You were great! 'Sparkling' is definitely going to please the fans!" The younger one took his hand off and back away from the microphone. "I hope so, Ryu-chan." He pushed up on the white head band with the red sun on it, getting the hair out of his eyes. He picked up a piece of cloth and wiped his sweat drenched brow. "All right everyone take fifteen…" He smiled. "That sounded real good…" Shuichi started towards the door, his friend Hiro clamping a hand on his shoulder. "Let's head off to get a cold drink, okay, Shuichi, Ryuichi?" "Sure." The red-head turned in place. "Are you coming with us, Suguru?" The keyboardist looked up and said, "In a minute. You guys go on ahead…." The three musicians headed down stairs, getting soda's from the vending and met up in the cafeteria where Noriko Ukai was presently at, talking to another N-G staff member. "NORIKO-CHAN!" Ryuichi hollered, waving the hand with the can in the air. The pink-haired woman looked up and grinned. "Ryu-chan, you might not want to….."

Too late.

The can erupted, fizzing all over the Grasper's face.

"Ummm…." Shuichi started.

Ryuichi laughed, licking the cold beverage from the corner of his mouth. "Ooops!" He laughed some more, taking the napkin Noriko passed to him. "My bad…." He started to wipe his face. Noriko rolled her eyes. "He's still such an idiot…." She watched the two vocalist's pal around. "Both of them are….."

"Yup!" Hiro agreed. "But the fans love them!"

"Kari Seguchi." The young girl stated, attempting to look over the edge of the counter at the hotel. Ichigo was too busy, looking up at the chandelier, mesmerized. The girl was too much like Shindou sometimes. "Just a second, miss…" "How do you suppose they clean that thing?" The blonde leaned back looking at the ceiling decoration. The younger girl rolled her eyes and sighed heavily. "Does it matter…" She turned back to the desk clerk. "Ahhh, yes." He looked up. "Miss Kari Seguchi, correct?" "Yes." "A suite for two?" "Yes." The man typed some things into the computer then signaled for a bell hop to help them. The man was young with brown hair and green eyes; he hoisted their belongings onto a rolling cart and started towards the elevators, "Please follow me, young ladies…" His smile was wolfish. Ichigo groaned. _Great! That's all what I need! Another perv!_ She followed the man in her red overalls that were now in her opinion hiked up too far up her thigh. She was apparently attracting attention. Unwanted attention. _Kuso! _"Relax, cousin…" Kari murmured. "He wouldn't dare try anything. His tip is riding on it." "Oh, I'll give him a tip all right….." "Ichigo, please…." The blonde looked to her cousin with a frown. "Fine! But if he gets too cozy I can't be blamed for what happens…"

Kari rolled her eyes.

This was going to be fun!

**Next Chapter: Junior Detectives**

**A/N: PHEW! Finally I'm done… Sorry this took so long! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review! (And no flames, I've been getting them lately and they've been really ticking me off, if you don't like it, don't read it……..)**


	12. Searching for Kitazawa

uiA/N: The next chapter of LTS (it's easier to do it that way) Grins I'm SO glad you like this story and are SO supportive of my genius. Gives a big thumbs up Yes, the authoress is getting a big head. Anywho… This seems to be taking longer than my other fics…. For those of you waiting for 'When Wolves Meet' or 'Run for Their Money', I'm terribly sorry. This story is sorta sticking to me and I'll have to finish it before I can do the others. I promise to start WWM again as soon as I'm done with this fic. And for my special reader I will also start RFTM. Until then, have patience with me and enjoy!

Thanks: **Vera-Sama, Shirubaa Kitsune,** **Shos-lady, Guren,** **evil-pillow, clueless97, Raven, Hoshi-Hiru, sesshoumarus-little-kitsune, puppet-cat, Notta Writer, Pureheart13, Reese Craven.**

**Warning: Adult Language

* * *

**

Chapter IX

Kari watched her cousin lay on the bed with a box of Pocky in her lap flipping through the American TV stations for anime. She rolled her eyes and tried to go back to sleep. "Ichigo, PLEASE turn that TV off will you?" The elder one turned towards her, Pocky stick at the corner of her mouth and smiled. "Eh. Lighten up, Kari, we're in the New York City, the Big Peach…." "That's apple." Her cousin corrected dryly. Ichi frowned. "Oh, right. I knew it was some type of fruit." She broke off a stick and munched away. The blonde then lay flat on her belly when she found a show known a Duel Monsters: Yu-Gi-Oh in Japan. It was plainly called Yu-Gi-Oh here she learned. "This dubbing is…." She spoke out loud watching Seto Kaiba talk to the Pharaoh known as Yami. .Kari secretly watched as the older girl flopped on her back watching the show upside down. "It sucks…" "What?" The brunette propped herself up. "I said this dubbing suck." "She bit into her Pocky. "Kaiba shouldn't sound like that nor Yami. Mokuba's okay…." Kari sighed frustrated and slammed her pillow over her head, attempting to take a nap.

Ichigo obsessed WAY too much over anime in her opinion.

"Okay, it says here that the cemetery Kitazawa's buried in is….here." Kari said, pointing to her palm pilot. "All we have to do is get a taxi to take us there…"

"Taxi…" Her voice was low and little. "Taxi!"

Ichi shook her head; Kari'd never get a taxi that way.

"Taxi…" Another one passed them.

"YO! TAXI!" The blonde shouted then whistled loudly.

A yellow cab screeched to a halt a few feet a way then backed up. Ichi ran to the cab and threw open the door. "Step on it, cuz!" She hollered throwing herself into the vehicle. "Where to?" Said the American with Bronx accent. "My cousin knows…" She was breathless, now dressed in dark blue jeans with a pink hoodie, her blonde hair pulled up in a ponytail. Kari got in after her and instructed, "To the cemetery." "Which one?" The guy was sucking on a cigarette. She gave him the instructions and he jerkily nodded, applying pressure to the gas peddle. Kari shoved another electronic device in her cousin face and the older girl could clearly see the business-like preteen had plotted the layout of the cemetery—which was kind of creepy to Ichigo, but it would help them. "This-" She poked her finger in the direction on the pad. "Is where Kitazawa's grave is located, understand?" "I understand." She shoved it back. "The plan is we get there and hope the headstone will give us some clues…" "Okay. Sounds like a plan!" The blonde then stuck a Pocky stick in the corner of her mouth. "Then what?" "We hope and pray there IS a clue there…." "And if not." "There's always my contact and yours…."

"Mine?"

"The computer whiz?"

Ichigo brightened. "Oh yeah! Forgot about him. Good thinking, Kari-chan!" She chowed down on the Pocky and shouted. "ONWARD HO!"

Kari grabbed her shoulder. "Sit down, baka!"

"You-you've never called me that before…."

"Because you ARE one." The Seguchi side of her said a little more roughly then she'd intended.

"Um-um…..waaaaaaaaaaah. You're SO mean, Kari-chan! Meanie meanie meanie meanie!" She tears came in a big flood. "WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SUCH S BITCH, KARI!" Yep, her Shuichi-side was definitely showing. Kari groaned and put her hands over her ears, praying the taxi driver wouldn't kick them out. The elder girl kicked for a few more minutes then quickly clamed down and began stuffing her face with Pocky again, this time rapidly. Another Shindou trait; since she couldn't get drunk, she'd be a glutton instead. Ichigo continued to feed her face, this time switching to an American brand candy bar with nuts called Mr. Goodbar. She scarfed the chocolate and peanuts down her gullet, looking out the window and wiping the tears off her cheeks. Kari looked back to her cousin and sighed. She should have known to handle the situation more delicately; this was a Shindou after all! "Uh, Ichi…." "What?" "I'm sorry!" Her tears stopped. "WELL!" She was grinning like a lunatic. "That's more like it!" "Eh?" The poor girl looked confused. "OH!" Ichi plastered herself to the window. "It's beautiful!" "Oh, dear Kami…."

She could see the cab driver casting a disturbed glance.

Ichi very infrequently broke into her Shuichi crying jags—and even when she did she stopped very quickly. Kari sighed. The girl was ridiculous!

"Here we are…" The New Yorker said, stopping the car.

The two girls got out of the cab, the younger cousin paying him the correct fair amount. "This is it?" Ichigo asked looking to the cemetery. "Yes…" "Well, let's go. Kitazawa's grave is in there!" "Yes…" The two girls made their way into the grounds, passing by many gravesites with various headstones. American names of Hewits, Jones, and Brown etched into the stone slabs. "Do you know exactly where it is?" Kari nodded, bringing out her electronic device, using the plotting point. "It should be up ahead just a little bit." They kept walking. "So what will finding this grave do?" "Depends…" "On what?" "What it is says." "You mean," The blonde girl tried to understand this. "You mean, depending on what is written on the stone will depend where we go?" "In a sense. It will give us a sense of who this Kitazawa was…." She looked at the device again. "Yuki Kitazawa." "Yuki?" "That's right… Yuki Kitazawa." "Ichi frowned. So there was some connection between her beloved tou-san and this deceased man? Why did they share the connection of a single name?

She frowned some more.

"Don't frown like that, Senpai…" Kari sighed. "It won't help."

Time passed, and both of them were silent.

"Are we there yet?'

"Yes, it should be up two headstones." She pointed with her fingers. "That one."

Ichigo looked at approached it, single-mindedly. She stopped in front of it, kneeling down on both knees in the dirt. Her focus was solely on the name on the stone. The grass around the grave was well trimmed, the grounds itself well kept. She leaned over and hurt something being crushed. The blonde started and looked down at a bundle of flowers. She gingerly picked them up and lifted the buds to her nose. They looked like they'd been here for awhile. Not too long ago, but awhile. Someone cared for this name; this man who was connected to her tou-san some how. Someone cared and missed him enough to send flowers. Beautiful flowers by the look of it. She placed them down, leaning over though, seeing the name: Yuki Kitazawa. Ichigo traced her finger in the etching. "Yuki Kitazawa…..Who were you? How did you die? Who loved you?" She spoke out. "Someone apparently." The elder girl got up. "Can we find out?" "Possibly, but they probably won't tell us. Confidentiality and all." The other sighed heavily. "Darn." "Why would you want to know that anyhow?" "He's connected to tou-san. I want to know who loved him."

"We could look for his family here…."

Ichigo turned around, light in her eyes. "Really!?"

"Yes, it could help…"

"Good!"

"Look, what it says bellow his name…"

"'I hope heaven his soul is truly gone…..' Huh, that's rather harsh…"

"Sounds like not EVERYONE loved this Yuki Kitazawa."

"But someone must've…the flowers."

"I told you coming to the grave was a good idea." She smiled an odd chilling smile.

Ichi got up. "So we find any living relatives and figure out who wished him ill?"

"You got it, cousin…"

"Let's go then!" They both turned on their heels starting out of the cemetery.

"It shouldn't be too hard, right?" Ichigo spoke rapidly. "I mean, how many Kitazawa's can there be!?"

"Not many…" The brunette looked down the street. "It WAS 10 or so years ago…"

Her cousin flipped through the telephone residential book, scanning it for the surname Kitazawa. "You know what I always find interesting about American?" "What?" "In their telephone books, they do there name like our." "What do you mean?" Kari had NO idea what her cousin was talking about. "Like us Japanese…. Uesugi Ichigo…" "You baka…They only do it that way in telephone books." "Oh, really…" She resumed her searching, humming. Ichigo knew her younger cousin loved her. "Kitazawa Yoshiki!" Ichigo said in an excited voice. "Great now make the call." Her cousin replied looking at a strange man who was looking at them. She got shivers running up and down her spine. She leaned into her cousin a whispered, "Just rip it out…" "What!?" "Don't look.." She started to turn. "I said, don't look! There's a man looking at us. Cousin, I want you to rip it out, tuck it into your jeans." Kari looked around. "Then hail us a cab." "On three…." "One." "Two." "Three!" They said this both at the same time, Ichigo performing her task rapidly as she stuffed the page into her jean pocket. She looked both ways, grabbing the younger girl's wrist and hollering. "YO! TAXI!" Just like before.

A yellow one careened to a halt next to them, almost running over the curb. "BAKA! Where'd did you Americans learn how to drive!?" Ichigo shouted. "Ichi-chan…Please do not insult our disgruntled-looking driver. We still have to get back to our hotel, which is across town mind you." "Sorry, Kari-chan…" She opened the back door of said cab and slid in. The brunette did so too. "The Ritz-Carlton, Central Park and step on it." "Yes ma'am, little lady!" Kari stared out the window, she had a lot to think of. "Yoshiki Kitazawa…" He was their key.

* * *

Ichigo lay on the bed, on her stomach, listening to the phone ring and then…. _"I'm sorry the number which you have dialed is no longer in service…."_ "Awww…" She exclaimed before slamming the phone back onto the hook. "What?" "No good…" "It's the only lead we have." "As I said…It's no good." "Damn." Ichi's eyes widened in surprise. "Time we played…as the Americans say, hard ball." She got out her cell-phone and dialed. "Hello, this is Seguchi. I have a VERY large personal favor to ask of you." She nodded as the person on the other line spoke. "Run a line on one Kitazawa Yoshiki." She nodded again. "Yes, its very important….Call me when you get the results." She hung up. For one so young she was VERY powerful in her own way. Ichigo looked up at her as Kari turned to face her. "What now?" "We wait." She sat down on the bed and folded her legs Indian style. "No! I have a better idea." The older girl got out her own phone and started rapidly dialing, bunching the buttons as is they were….a keyboard. Ichigo listened as the phone started to ring. "Pick up, Nakano." She whispered. "Pick up!"

_"Hey! You've reached Sho's line. I'm not here right now so if you-"_

_"Hey! It's Sho! Don't go!" _

"Cute, Nakano, you can rhyme…"

_"All the time….Hey, Ichi…What's up?"_

"I need your help."

He seemed to sit up on the other end. Most likely he'd been hanging over the edge of his bed, listening to the phone upside down._ "Shoot!" _"You sure you're listening.?" _"Yeah, yeah." _"Take this down." _"Hold on a sec!" _She could shuffling around then…_"Okay! I'm ready! Spill you guts!" _"Do you know how disgusting that sounds?" _"Ichi…" _There was warning in his voice. _"Do you want my help or not?" _"Oh, all right, don't be a sour puss." She took a breath. "I want you to dig up info on one Kitazawa Yoshiki." _"Got it." _He sounded like he was going to hang up. "WAIT!" _"Yeah?" _"I also want you to find him. Search all of Tokyo…" Sound of spitting up was heard on the other side of the line. _"Say WHAT!?" _"Find him…" _"But we're talking Tokyo as a whole." _Something was slurped. _"That's a lot of ground to cover." _"Can you handle it or not?" _"Welll…." _"Or maybe you're not quite the computer genius you portray yourself to be." _"Hold it right there. I am THAT and more. I'll do it; in fact I'll do it in six hours."_ "You're sure?" _"Yes, I'm sure. I'll have your results in six hours, Ichigo, count on that!"_

"Good! You do that!"

She clicked off the phone with a satisfied smile.

"He says he'll do it. He says he'll give us results in six hours." She threw the cell on the bed. "Even your team can't pull that."

Kari looked skeptical. "Are you sure he wasn't bluffing?"

She threw her hair over her right shoulder. "When Sho says he'll deliver; he'll deliver." She crossed over to the hotel room door, I'm going down stairs to get a bite to eat. Wanna come with?" "No…" Her young cousin had plugged in her lap top computer and was now checking her email while simultaneously doing web searches. She sipped at her imported soda, eyes focused on the screen. She stopped by the door in her knee high pink boots and looked her cousin once more over. "Go ahead…." Her voice was bland and emotionless as she scrolled. Ichigo nodded and exited the room, hoping to get some pizza and maybe some ice-cream. She skipped down the hall way in her short black skirt with white angora top and pressed the button to the elevator. She began singing Bad Luck's _Blind Game Again _loudly, and then began to dance despite the high healed boots. Unknown to Ichi the bell hop who had brought their bags up to their room on the day of arrival was watching her with hungry eyes. Unfortunately for Ichigo, she was about a clumsy as her okaa-san and missed a step and fell.

She hit her head against the wall and began to cry immediately!

The bell hop saw this and rushed to help her. "Miss! Miss! Are you all right!" He kneeled down next to her and attempted to help her up. Ichi laughed and began singing again, murmuring, "It's okay. It's just my head. I'll be fine." The boy helped her up, his hand brushed her thigh. She didn't even think much of it. "Thank you." She took firm hold of his arms. "Ichigo Uesugi." She said in greeting. "Jamie Parker." He said with a smile after he'd successfully helped her to her feet. "Thank you." "You're welcome…" He laughed. "What's a good-looking chick like you doing all alone here in the Big Apple?" "Oh, I'm not alone…" She entered the elevator backwards. "I'm with my cousin." "Still…." "Thank you…" She said as the door closed. The elevator began its descent. "He felt my thigh up on purpose that pervert!" When the lift hit the bottom floor she made her way to restaurant, ordering herself a large supreme pizza. It was said she could finish them in 15 minutes flat. The waiter was surprised to hear she'd be eating it by herself. "Are you sure, miss? Would you prefer a medium or even a small?" She just glared at him and said, "Large."

The pizza arrived fifteen minutes later, all hot and delicious looking along with a large picture of American soda known as Coca Cola. "That'll be all…." This being said, Ichigo dove into the pizza, gobbling it down and sloshing the coke down her throat with great gusto, much to astonishment and horror of the restaurant goers. When she finished the waiter said, "Is that going to be all for you, young lady?" He was a young guy. "No. large ice-cream Sunday, the works." With that she ordered another pitcher of soda. The man complied at five minutes later the Sunday was brought out with more Coca Cola. She was nearly finished with her meal when a loud shrill voice rang through the place. "ICHIGO!" It had a reprimanding tone to it. "How could you eat so much?" Ichi-chan looked up with chocolate syrup at the corner of her mouth to see her cousin standing at the end of the table frowning with a bundle of computer papers in her hand. "Kari-chan…" She put down her spoon and wiped her mouth. "You said you were going to eat not GORGE." She blew an exasperated breath through her lips. "What's up?" "I found something that maybe of interest to us…" Ichigo's eyes lit up. "Really!?" "Yes, now pay the bill, wipe your mouth a bit more and follow me back up stairs."

* * *

Ichigo met her cousin Kari back upstairs, flopping down upon her bed. "What's the buzz, cuz?"

"This!"

She unfurled the computer paper.

On it was an old news paper story; it wasn't very big, in fact it took up a small portion of the paper. It read:

**Three Gunned Down in Old Southside Building**

Under it was picture of a young man, with the caption under it reading:

**Yuki Kitazawa.

* * *

**

**A/N: I wasn't sure whether Yoshiki was originally a boy's or girl's name. But I wanted them to think they were tracking down a man, make it extra interesting and hard. **

**TA DA! FINALLY FINSIHED! I'm SO happy! You don't KNOW how happy I am! Merry Christmas everybody, here's your Christmas present from me, as late as it is.**


	13. Shards of the Past

A/N: Yay! This is really getting good, and I am SO happy! Where to go next…..

Thanks:**Shirubaa Kitsune, Shos-lady, Vera-Sama, Sakuraloveu, Notta Writer, seshygirl04, ****cryearthstearsfalltou, evil-pillow, ****Hoshi-Hiru.

* * *

**

**Chapter X**

"I believe this information will vastly help us, Cousin…" Kari said as she scanned the web for more information. "We now know how this man died….."

"He was killed, by a gun."

"Yes."

"But the killer was never found…."

"Sadly no…"

"Neither were the circumstances…" Ichigo sat down upon the bed. "That's called a cold case…"

"Correct."

The blonde girl thought about this. _So Kitazawa was murdered. Gunned down…. He died so young. _Tears formed in her eyes. _But he's the key to saving my family….. "_There's nothing more for us here, Kari, we have to return to Japan." Her cousin nodded eyes still on the screen. "We will, I've booked us a noon flight…." "The only lead we have now is, Sho…." "And my people." "Sho will find Yoshiki….." "Meanwhile, I'm finding out who this Yoshiki is…" Kari taped the keys a bit more. Ichi leaned over her shoulder. "Family tree?" "Mmmm…" "Can you do that?" "It's called hacking." "You can do that?" "If I try hard enough, its not one specialty I'm proud of…." The older girl sat back. "How fast can you have the information…?" ":It will take a while, this site's security is hard to crack…" She bit her lip and continued to type, trying various key words. "So what am I supposed to do…." "Why don't you check up on, Nakano…?" "Nah. He'd just snap at me. He's like that sometimes. Moody, you know. I think he's part female sometimes…" She lay on her belly and munched away at some more Pocky. Kari rolled her eyes. "Aren't you full yet?"

"Not really…"

She continued to snack.

Ichigo then flopped onto her back. "Tell me when you've cracked it okay…" She closed her eyes, Pocky stick still in her mouth. "Of course." The blonde fell asleep to the sound of incessant keyboard-pecking; to her it was a lullaby. The younger woman looked over her shoulder and frowned at the indecency of her cousin's skirt hiked up her thighs and her silky golden hair fanned over the top cover. No wonder that creep Yamamoto was after her—and every other horny guy. She sighed and resumed tying to access the site. **Access Denied. **"Kuso!" She swore and started over again. Her eyes scanned the screen. She had double checked and was extra sure this was the Kitazawa family they were looking for. Kari pulled over the picture of Kitazawa to her. It was black and white. Kitazawa was a decent looking man, he looked friendly. _Uncle Eiri knew him…_ _He was young way back then. _Her eyes bore into the picture. _What is their relationship? _She refocused on the computer. _Kitazawa's relation is the key now…. Only with him can we go forward. _She snapped back to attention, attempting to hack into the system once more, her cousin's soft breathing in the background. "Let it be this time…"

* * *

"Ichi, wake up, wake up!" Ichigo was woken up to the urgent voice of her cousin. She came awake, sitting up abruptly.

"Yeah!"

"I'm in….I have to make this quick…" Kari hurriedly scrolled through the page, eyes scanning for the names Yoshiki and Yuki.

"Well, well!" She sounded like Shuichi, bouncing on the bed.

"I'm looking!"

"I'll help." Ichi leaned over her shoulder.

Kari grunted at her cousin's weight on her shoulders.

They looked together.

"THERE!"

The blonde shouted, jabbing her index finger at the screen. "There it is!" Kari's eyes shot towards where the elder girl pointed. "Yoshiki…" "And Yuki." "They're siblings!" they said together. Kari grinned her chilling smile. "Well, nailed that!" She looked eager and sounded pumped up. "Let's go to sleep…. That's as far as we can go for now…" She swept up after herself, making sure to cover her tracks she'd made when hacking in. Then she closed down her computer and set it on the table near her bed. Kari and Ichigo then went about their nightly ritual of putting on their night clothing. Ichi wore a kawaii blue two piece Pjs and was brushing her teeth when the other girl padded over to her in her cotton gown. She yawned then looked back to the dark sky and beautiful lights. "Hurry up, Ichigo…." "What's the rush?" She deliberately brushed her teeth slower. "It's not like we have an early flight…" "You're doing that on purpose." "Doing what?" She replied, pretending to look innocent. "You know what I mean." Ichi kept brushing and giggled, sounding very much like 'Aunt' Shuichi. "You're growing more bubble-headed the older you get, you know?"

"That only makes more to love about me!" She then spit in the sink, her hair braided for bed. "All done!"

Kari sighed. "That made no sense…"

Her cousin giggled once more and skipped out of the bathroom.

Kari sighed and began her own nightly ritual.

Ichigo jumped into her bed, pulling the covers up to her chin like she always did. "Pika pika, pika pika…….." She murmured as she proceeded to fall asleep again. Three minutes later her cousin joined her in the king-sized bed. "And stop with that pika pika nonsense…It'll keep me awake all night!" "It's how okaa-san rocked me to sleep you know that." "Go to sleep…" Silence. She looked over her shoulder gazed at her closed-eyed cousin. Ichigo was sleeping on her stomach just like her father. "Typical." She turned over to rest on her side.

* * *

Kari heard the sound of _Blind Game Again_ in her head, and suddenly realized it was the ring tone on her cousin's cell phone.

That was how she woke up.

"Ichigo…" She shook her. "Ichigo!"

Giving up when her cousin did not awake, she reached over and answered the cell phone. "Moshi moshi." She answered, trying to wake up. "Ichi?" Kari frowned. "No, Nakano, it's the other girl. The one who's not Pocky addicted." "Oh. Is Ichi awake?" "No, but I'll wake up up anyway, she'll want to talk to you." She then began to prod and poke at her cousin's prone form. The older girl didn't stir for a while. She poked at her some more. "Ichigo!" she hissed in her cousin's ear." Wake up, noroi! It's Nakano." (1) "Wha…" She shoved the cell phone towards the other girl. "It's Nakano. Talk to him." Ichigo took the phone and murmured in a sleep drugged voice, "Yeah, Sho, what's up…" "I may have the information you want." She checked the clock. "That fast?" It was 2:30 am. "I said, I'd have it within 6 hours. I just cut it shorter than that is all." "Good job, Sho. What's the info?" There was tapping heard in the back ground as if one was tapping on a computer. "Kitazawa Yoshiki lives in Tokyo currently, lucky us…." Ichigo got excited. "That's great!" "No. That's luck." He retorted curtly. "Ever the pessimist…" "Better than being an optimist…" "Now, wait just a sec-!" "Chil, Ichi. Slow your roll, jelly." (lol)

There was a pause.

"As I was say, he's in-"

Sho stopped speaking, and suddenly he line went dead.

"Sho!" Ichi panicked. "Sho! SHO!"

* * *

Kyoto, Japan

* * *

Hiroshi Nakano set his son's phone down back on the cradle and frowned, Shuichi Shindou, Eiri Yuki, and Tohma Seguchi in the door of the young man's bedroom.

"Why did you not tell us you've been in contact with Ichigo & Kari, their parents are worried sick?" Hiro asked his son.

"Welll…"

"You're lucky your mother is visiting her parents at this moment."

"Well…."

"You better have a good explanation, Sho Nakano!"

"Well…"

"Please, Sho. If you know where my Ichi is, please tell us." Shuichi intervened looking concerned.

He sighed. "Ichi and Kari are in New York."

"Yes, we know that much…."

"But why?"

"I think I know why…" Tohma said somberly.

Yuki looked troubled, "You mean?"

His brother in law nodded. The girl's were digging up the past. Tohma was filled with dread, if Shindou found out what had happened, if his daughter or his niece did…He didn't think he could look them in the eye. He'd lost Mika; he would not loose the rest of his family. Tohma resolved to do something about it!

* * *

New York

* * *

The next morning the girls got up early and prepared themselves for their flight, packing up briskly. The two girls had breakfast downstairs in the restaurant first. Kari watched as he cousin ordered a big order of pancakes and sausages with bacon and biscuits. The young woman herself ordered lemon tea and steaming hot oatmeal. While waiting for their meal to arrive, she turned on her lap top and showed Ichi the information that had been sent to her computer via email. "You know I think we did pretty good, seeing as how we don't have Mr. K's connections?" Ichigo commented, grinning. "You mean a gun?" She muttered scrolling through the info. "Brutish American, the way he waves those firearms around like that." Many "Americans" looked towards the two Japanese girls. Ichi looked up and snapped. "What!? Haven't you people ever seen foreigners before? Sheesh! What rude people!" The brunette tried to hush her loud-mouthed intolerant cousin. "Senpai, sit down and be quiet!" She jerked the other girl into her seat by the sleeve of her tight, long-sleeved black blouse. "Sit!" "I'm sitting, I'm sitting. Sheesh! When did you get so bossy?"

* * *

Ichigo sauntered up to the room and found the bell hop who had showed her concern looking at her with hungry eyes. She dismissed this, turning her nose up as Kari followed. "C'mon, Kari-chan!" She called out, inserting the keycard into the door and opening it. Kari followed the other girl into it as they closed the door.

* * *

The boy had watched the Japanese girl in her tight blue jeans. She had a cute rear, and she didn't look Japanese, that was what was exotic about her. Japanese, yet not. He smiled perversely.

* * *

"Flight 205 is now boarding. Please have your proper identification out and your boarding pass out." Said the clerk at the counter.

Kari & Ichi rushed to it, hauling their small carry on items with them. "Did you REALLY have to stop at that Japanese market, we could have missed our plane!?" "It sold Pocky, and I was low…." The elder one whined. "So! You wouldn't have died! Now come on!" They approached the boarding podium. _Intercontinental flights are a pain…_ Ichigo thought. "They wouldn't be a problem if you would hadn't had the cab make a detour…" Kari commented as if reading the other's mind. "I need snacks, Kari-chan." "You as well as I know you could have gotten those in Japan." (lol didn't mean to rhyme lol) She replied briskly passing the woman their boarding passes and I.Ds. She checked them out and nodded, smiling and telling them to have a nice flight. "You are such a baka, just like your "mother"." "There's nothing wrong with my okaa-san…" Ichi sounded miffed. "He's perfectly fine as he is!" Americans and some Japanese passengers looked up. The Japanese-Americans smiled understanding the word 'okaa-san' while the Americans just looked strangely at them. _Tourists, she thought. _The two found their seats storing their carrying-ons under the seats in front of them.

The blonde took a seat by the window.

_Hopefully this flight won't seem like too long…._ Kari thought as she looked out the window, waiting for the jet to take off.

* * *

Tokyo, Japan

* * *

It had taken them awhile, but the large Shindou-Uesugi-Seguchi-Nakano party (long huh) stepped onto the concourse of the international airport, looking when flights from New York were coming in. "Ichigo's my friend, Dad." Sho muttered. Hiroshi just glared at him. "Anyway, it's not like she told me to keep her secret, I chose to." He shrugged, pushing a hand through his short reddish-brown hair out of his blue eyes. "I didn't think there was much harm in it." Tohma sighed, looking at the schedule once more. "You were obviously trying to be a good friend to my little Blossom, so I see no harm done." "No harm done!" Yuki interjected. "Seguchi, are you out of your ever loving mind!?" "Eiri-san, as long as the girls are safe that's all that matters." "If they're safe..." "Yuki, don't say things like that!" The "little mother" sounded panicky. He walked away leaving Shuichi all anxious. He might've been grown up but inside he was still a baka that much Hiro agreed on with Yuki. Hiro patted his son's shoulder and stared out at the passer-byes. There were several flights out of New Yor- "Seguchi-san!" he called out to the president who stood nearby.

"Yes, Nakano-san,"

"If Kari had traveled out of the country wouldn't she have given the air lines your name?"

Tohma made a face as if this suddenly hit him. "You're quite right, Nakano-san. I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier." He then immediately turned on his heel to have a talk with someone who could help them.

* * *

Shuichi watched the blonde disappear and approached his best-friend. "Hiro…Where's, Seguchi-san going?" "To get some answers." "Oh."

* * *

"Hey, Ichigo, wake up…" She shook the other girl.

The blonde had fallen asleep again, a box of Pocky sitting in her lap.

"Ichigo, wake up! I want to talk to you about something…"

The other came awake fitfully, the Pocky being thrown from her lap and scattering to the floor. "Oh no!" Ichi exclaimed bending to gather it as far as the seat belt would let her. "Forget it! This is more important, baka-chan." "What!?" Ichigo snapped, irritable. She had an ugly look on her face, it was a Yuki look. "What do you want?" "Well didn't we get up on the wrong side of the airplane this afternoon." She laughed at her own joke. The other just glared. It was obvious she didn't find it funny. "What?" she repeated. "I was just thinking about Yoshiki Kitazawa…." "What about him?" Ichigo said coming more awake. "Do you think he'd be willing to share his brother's secrets with us?" (2) "I don't know. I guess we'll know when we get there and ask him." "There is that, but there's something else that trouble me, Ichi…" "Hmmm?" "Sho's line going dead." Ichigo waved her cousin off. "It's probably nothing to worry about, Kari-chan, we just lost the connection is all…." "If you say so." "I do. Now let me get my Pocky…" She leaned over and started picking up her Pocky and putting them back in the box.

"Fine." Kari leaned back and closed her eyes, waiting to touch down in her homeland of Japan.

* * *

"Tou-san!" Ichigo shrieked practically dropping a Pocky stick from her mouth.

Eiri Yuki stood with his arms folded across his chest, looking quite menacing, and glaring at his errant daughter. "Well?"

He obviously wanted an explanation

"Um…." Shuichi appeared, looking a bit stern himself for a change..

One would have expected her "mother" to scoop her up in his arms. "Ichigo Hana Shindou-Uesugi, what do you have to say for yourself?" He was tapping his foot.

"Well-I-that is–you see…." She laughed nervously.

_Oh boy am I in trouble…..

* * *

_

**Next Chapter: Return to the Homeland**

**(1) Noroi: lazy**

**(2) Okay like I said to make it good they still think he's male, for any of you who have read vol. 9 of Gravi. Well you'll see…**

**A/N: TA DA! Isn't it wonderful!? I think so and I can't wait for your reviews! **


	14. Return to the Homeland

**A/N: Wow! Wasn't that last chapter fun! The girls are in trouble and that is the least of their problems now with Tohma trying to interfere….. Oh my! Thanx for your support so far I really appreciate!**

**Thanks: ****puppet-cat, Hoshi-Hiru,** **Vera-Sama, Notta Writer, Guren, insanehumor, i love athrun, Crazi 4 Grasper, inumoon3, Kya-kun, seshygirl04, Shos-lady,** **and clueless97.**

**Warning: Adult language and sexual innuendo.

* * *

**

**Chapter XI**

Ichigo, Kari and Sho sat on the couch of the Nakano residence looking very guilty if one ever saw a child looking that way. Even Kari Seguchi was fazed by her father's deadly stare. "What did you kids think you were doing?"Shuichi said, sounding frantic. "Well I….." Ichi started. "That's no answer, Ichigo Uesugi. Answer your okaa-san." Yuki snapped with arms folded across his chest. "We were looking for the past…" Kari announced. It was Tohma's turn to address the matter, "Why ever for, little ones? The past is in the past. It is certainly none of your concern. Let the dead stay dead and let the past go un-dug. …" The teenagers were silent. "Well…" Tohma added. "Now that that is settled… Come along, Kari….I will discuss your punishment for using my name for such matters." She got up and followed him to the door. "Yes, Father..." Ichigo watched as her oji-san left with her cousin, the man pivoting on one heal to stare at his brother in law. "Till tomorrow, Eiri-san…" Yuki just stared as the door closed. His daughter waited for her own 'death sentence' timidly.

She'd gotten out of the punishment for wrecking the car…well almost, who knew if she'd get off lightly again. All Ichigo knew is her sentence would be doubled after the farewell concert. "We'll also be leaving, Hiro…" "I understand, Shuichi…" He was looking intently at his own child. Sho gulped at the look in his dad's eyes.

* * *

"Ichigo." Yuki's voice was serious and angry as he paced the floor. "This has to be the most STUPID and RECKLESS thing you have EVER done!" She could feel her okaa-san's eyes boring into her back. Somehow she had a feeling she wasn't going to get out of this one. Shuichi would give his daughter no leeway this time. She gulped. "But, Tou-san…" "Ichigo, I suggest you not speak unless we tell you to!" This came from Shuichi. Yes, she was really in trouble this time… When her okaa-san started taking her tou-san's side instead of hers…..Watch out. "What in the world did you two think you were doing!?" He hollered. "..Two young girls alone in a city, full of vandals, murderers, and sickos! You could have been raped….or worse…" He shivered not wanting to think about that. "You do NOT have ANY idea what you put us all through!" He grimaced, sitting down, feeling queasy. Yuki saw this as his turn to take over. "He's right for once. You worried us all sick; your poor okaa-san's been nothing but a basket case since you left. Not even a note or a phone call did we get from you!" Ichi could see her tou-san was practically frothing at the mouth in rage.

"Well you see…."

"And don't think your going to worm your way out of this one! No one can help you today, young lady! No one is on your side!"

"Eep!'

What were they going to do to her?

"No anime for a month." Shuichi declared, face serious for once in his life. Having a child sort of did that to you, it taught him to be less juvenile growing up.

"What!? NO! You can't do that!" Ichigo announced in horror.

"Can't we? Why do they always say that, Yuki…"

"I don't know, but perhaps she'd like to try for two months?"

Their daughter sank back, beaten. "No no…A month is fine."

"Good." Both her parents announced.

* * *

Later That Night

* * *

Ichigo contacted her partners in crime on a three way phonecall, talking in low tones so her parents wouldn't know what she was up to. "If they think they're stopping us, they're kidding." She said to her co-conspirators. "I agree. They're hiding something large." Kari added. "Yeah, something definitely does not smell right." That was Sho. "Maybe it's the rotten fish…" "Sho, focus, will you? We've got to find out what they're hiding! Why are they so desperate to keep this from me and Kari!?" There was a shrugging sounds as he said, "Don't know, but it must be something huge for Yuki-san and Tohma-san to be agreeing on it. That's what I'm getting from you at least…" He continued to eat in her ear. A trait that was really annoying, rude, and disgusting. "Nakano, please stop eating." Kari interrupted. There was a sound of swallowing as Sho apologized. "So how do we go about doing this behind their backs?" "Very carefully." "Sure. That'll be easy." He scoffed. "Are you going to help me or not, Sho?" "Yeah…I am. Don't get your panties in a twist."

"Oh, shut up…"

He snickered at this. "Sooo…how are you going to go about NOT getting your hide nailed to the wall by your tou-san?"

"Carefully, my good Nakano-san."

"So what's your plan, Cousin…?" Kari spoke up.

* * *

School

* * *

"Hey, babe, didn't catch you in school for the last two days…?" A disgusting voice said. "Playing hooky? You'r so naughty, kinda turns me on…" (PERVERT!)

"So I ditched. I wasn't hooking, so get your filthy mind out of the gutter, Yamamoto!" Today was not the day to piss Ichigo off.

His perverted eyes traveled down her body. "Did any one tell you what a nice ass you have?"

"And did anyone tell you I've been known to make LESSER men hurt for a week?" She was glaring by now. "I've got to get to class…."

* * *

"Hey, Ichigo…" Keiko whispered before class began. "Where've you been? Nene and I were worried about you."

"I was sick." She lied. "But I'm better now!"

"Oh, that's too bad…. So any info on the concert." The girl was grinning like an idiot.

"Yeah….but I'll tell you later…Class is starting."

* * *

Lunch

* * *

Nene and Keiko approached their friend intent to get all the juicy information on Bad Luck's farewell concert. Ichigo meanwhile was stuck in a trance, thinking about the events of the previous day. _I just can't let it go at that! I won't let them hide things from me! I have to save my family! Why can't they see I'm not doing this for selfish reasons! I deserve to know!_ She then felt a tapping on her shoulder and a far off voice saying, "Hello. Earth to Ichigo…. Ichi, are you there?" "Ichigo? Yo, you hearing us!?" "Huh?" The blonde came back to reality with a shake of her head. "Yeah, I'm here. Sorry, girls. Just thinking about something…" "Yeah," Keiko sat down. "What of?" Nene asked. "Oh, it's nothing for you guys to worry about." She tossed a dazzling smile. "Now, I suppose you guys wanna know about the concert and stuff?" "Yeah! Spill!" "Well…Okaa-san's working on a brand new song." She said smiling and she put a piece of sushi in her mouth. "Really!" "Yeah, but that's all I'm telling you." "Oh, come on, Ichigo, you can't say that and leave it at that!" "It's gonna be real good, that's all." Ichgo was firm on this. "You'll like it, don't worry."

Her friends then began to pout.

"Of course, Nittle Grasper will be the opening act for it, being as good friends as okaa-san and Ryu-chan are."

The girls knew this but were too excited to remember.

"Anyone else?"

"Electric Shock…."

"Who're they?"

"Oh, that's right! Electric Shock's not very famous with the public they have mediocre fans, and they've been touring mostly in America and other parts of the world." (1)

"Gee, that's too bad…" Her friends sounded disappointed.

"They're really not that bad. They just don't compare to Nittle Grasper or Bad Luck though they're really awesome. I've got one of their CDs."

She ate some more. "They do a switch in between Japanese and English in their songs like most bands. The Americans really seem to love them…That's why Japan keeps a tight leash on them. As long as their albums sell big in America, the OVA Record Company keeps them…"

"I think you'll like them too!" She shrugged. "Heck, I listen to them!"

"All right, Ichi…If you say they're cool, we'll believe you…" Keiko said, easting some of her own food.

* * *

Gym

* * *

Ichigo stood watching the rhythmic gymnastics team practice on the other side of the gym. She twisted the dueling rod for Kendo class around in her left hand, waiting for her chance to take to the floor. "Ready to have your ass whooped?" A slimy voice murmured into her ear. "Only if you're ready to eat crow once I defeat you." She retorted back. This is what she hated. That pervert Yamamoto seemed to be apart of every martial arts course, it's like he was stalking her or something, the slime. "Heh heh. So you think little girl." He then gave her rear a pinch and Ichi saw red, putting her foot out as he walked by, thus tripping him and causing him to fall flat on his face in front of the entire class. The Kendo class and the rhythmic gymnastics class burst out with laughter at the sight—and Ichigo herself had to snicker at Naka's humiliation. "You look good down there, Yamamoto….Submissive…bowing at your queen's feet." "All right all right!" Their Kendo instructor announced. "Enough of this! Yamamoto-san, Uesugi-san. You two are up now!" The girl smirked as she past her opponent and stepped upto where her teacher directed.

"Don't be so cocky, Shindou!" Yamamoto hissed, getting up and make his way over.

"Oh, you're just sore because I humiliate you at ever turn…" She purred with deadly gleam in her amethyst eyes.

Ichigo then brought her sword up, waiting for her opponent to do the same. "You won't be smiling when I defeat you…My family…" "Oh, please….If you start reciting that lineage crap, I might just throw up all over your haori." His eyes became cold. "Very well then, Shindou…. If that is how you WISH IT!" He then attacked with fury, using every Kendo technique he knew to break down her defenses. Ichi stood her ground though under his furious onslaughts. _His offensive can't last for long…There's too much fury behind it. He'll get sloppy…And that's where I'll get him! _She slipped out of the corner he was going to box her in and attacked him from behind. Yamamoto looked startled. It was obvious he hadn't expected that, being so wrapped up in his anger. "Stay still so I can defeat you!" he roared. "Yeah, right..." She skipped back in her bare feet two paces and held up her blade to defend herself. His crashed upon her and when he bored down on it, his head getting close enough to hers…. She head butted him then hit him under the chin with the hilt of her 'sword', knocking the pervert to the ground. "Hah!" She gloated putting the point of the rod under his chin. "I believe I win…."

"I believe so too..." The teacher said, approaching them.

"No she didn't!" he protested from the floor. "She-she cheated!"

"No…"

"You're blind!"

"What I did see was you being reckless. That sort of thing would have got you killed in the Meiji period."

"No!"

"Just admit you lost, Yamamoto…It's very disgraceful for a 'samurai' to carry on like this…Just commit seppuku and get over lying to yourself all ready." (2) She then walked away, putting her rod up on the wall.

* * *

After this she left the gym, leaving everyone to stare after her form.

"Hey, Ichigo, wait up!" called Keiko who was on the rhythmic gymnastics team and had seen everything. "I saw what you did to Yamamoto…That was…."

She couldn't find a word for what it was.

"He was pissing me off!" She stormed. "He asked for it…Smug bastard that he is!"

"No arguments there, girl…"

* * *

After School

* * *

When school let out, Ichi had become calmer turning her mind to three things: her birthday, her okaa-san's farewell concert at Zepp Tokyo, and the stability of her family. She bit her lip and brought out her cell phone, making a call to Sho's secret line… _"Sho Nakano speaking. Whiz kid with the biz!" _He answered cheerfully. "Cute, Nakano…" She laughed. _"Oh, hey, Ichi…" _His voice dropped down and there was a sound of a door being closed. _"There, that's better. Gotta be careful from now on…." _"You punishment that bad…." _"My computer time has been iced, Ichi…" _The girl swore. Damn, that was no good. "By how much?" _"A month." _He threw himself onto his bed and fed his fish. _"I'm lucky it wasn't longer." _"Yeah, sorry…" _"No, it's okay. I willingly helped you." _"Arigato, Sho. You're a good friend." He laughed at this. _"Yeah, I'd like to think that…" _Ichigo rolled her eyes. "Meet me at the new _manga_ café" _"Now?" _"Yeah now." _"Whatever you say, Ichi… I'll be there as fast as I can.." _"Good. Ciao!" When her best friend hung up, she next dialed her cousin's number. She needed both of them, this was something she couldn't handle on her own.

* * *

"Okay, I'm here." Sho Nakano announced taking a seat across from Kari & Ichi. "What's the plan?"

Ichigo looked up from the manga she'd been engrossed in. He peered at the title: _Fake_. "I'll invitedK-san…" "Isn't that dangerous…" "Well, we can't use any of Kari's connections…" Kari looked at the boy. "Father has put a tight leash on me." She sighed. "I am not aloud to use his resources to search for something unless authorized by my Shacho." "That sucks." "Yes. Quite." "So, we have no other choice than to bring in K-san…Agreed?" The other two nodded. "Sounds like a plan," Sho started. "K-san might be trigger happy, but he's into this sort of stuff espionage and all that junk." "And that's precisely why we can trust him to help us." The blonde stated with a smile accorss her face. She looked up. "Ah, here he is now…."

Kari & Sho picked up there heads and watched Bad Luck's manager, Claude Winchester, also known as K, former CIA agent, walk into the café nonchalantly. He weaved his way through the tables and sofas and took a seat own the couch next to them. "Good afternoon, K-san.. .' Ichigo greeted. "Good afternoon…" He said in return. "You're officially in, right?" She leaned near the American. "Yes, it sounds intriguing, and I do love a good intrigue. So I'm in." "You'll help us find out what they don't want us to know." "Of course." Kari interjected, "What's in it for you?" The blond pony-tailed man turned and grinned behind his sunglasses, "The fun of manipulation and string pulling." He patted his holster. "And if need be…I get to use my new gun…Just bought it yesterday." "Perhaps." Ichi tightly said. "And perhaps not….it all rides on what you find out for us." His gaze pierced hers at this. "Ohhh, make no mistake…I will find the information you seek." She nodded. "Your first mission, K-san, is to track down a man name Yoshiki Kitazawa." "Ahh so that is what this is about hmmm?" He nodded as well. "Very well then. I'm familiar with her."

"HER!?" The three practically shouted.

K lifted his sunglasses, revealing blue eyes. "Of course, why ever would you think Yoshiki was a man…." He laughed. "He was one to beginning with of course…"

"Was?" His blonde _employer_ inserted.

"Yes, Yoshiki Kitazwa is Yuki Kitazawa's younger brother…He had a sex change it seems, awhile back. Your okaa-san and tou-san knew him/her…." He informed Ichigo.

"They did!?"

"Yes."

"WHY DIDN"T YOU SAY SO BEFORE!?"

Young patrons looked up for their smoothie fruit drinks and cappuccinos to stare at the raging blonde, standing on the booth seat.

"Would their have been any relevancy before…?" K asked, arching an eyebrow.

"No…" She got back down and sipped at her strawberry smoothie.

"There you see…"

"Just do your job, okay, K-san?" Sho snapped.

"Oh it will be my pleasure, young Nakano…." K said, cocking the hammer of his gun.

* * *

**(1) Electric Shock is a band from my other story as Notta Writer knows. They're not really bad, as Ichi said, they jst don't match up to the greatness of BL and NG. They're really awesome though!**

**(2) Okay, Ichigo didn't mean literal seppuku (ritual suicide). Ya see she sees Yamamoto as a disgraced warrior. It's her way of telling him to stop lying to himself and end his humiliation. It's all figurative. But it was fun to write!**

**Next Chapter: Enter the Manager **

**(this title may or may not change)**

**A/N: TA DA! All done! That was fun! (Hey I can rhyme lol) Yeah bringing K was a stroke of genius. This is going to be fun! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Review!**


	15. Interferences

**A/N: WOW! Look at all these responses. Yes, bringing in K ****was a stroke of genius!**

**Mistress: You're getting a big head…**

**Neko: Silence! Who asked you!? snorts Ignore her, my muse is nobody important.**

**Mistress: So she's says, but she couldn't do anything without me nyahhh sticks out her tongue Now, we'd like to thank all the reviewers .**

**Neko: That's just what I was going to say.**

**Mistress: Riiiiiiiight…**

**Thanks: ****Crazi 4 Grasper, Vera-Sama, Kya-kun, Notta Writer, cryearthstearsfalltou, Shos-lady, Guren, Raven's Light, Jessica, and clueless97.**

**Warning: Adult Language.

* * *

**

**Chapter XII**

After K agreed to everything, he soon left. The three then got into a deep discussion of what could possibly be wrong. "Is it possible that you two are just imagining things…." Sho asked, slurping at his smoothie. Ichigo shot him an ugly look that quickly shut his mouth. "No! We are NOT imagining things! How can you be so calm when my family is about to be torn apart!" "Women…" He muttered around the straw. "What was that!?" That was Shu-chan's personality. "Okay, so your not imagining things….When did this start?" He slumped in his seat looking at his best friend with roaving eyes, she looked beautiful in the halogen light's of the café. He'd never noticed it before but… "Sho? Sho, are you listening?" Ichi's voice said annoyed. He snapped out of his shameless ogling of his beast friend, blushing behind his smoothie. "Yeah, yeah, Ichi, I hear you." "Then what did I say?" She looked at him expectantly, the other girl Kari looking up from her notes. She wasn't even looking in his direction so she'd be of no help… He sighed. "Ummmm…" "That's what I thought." He gave a blank look. "Why do I deal with you? Remind me." He shrugged and slurped his drink, giving her the signal to continue.

"As I was saying….After K find's Kitazawa we can confront him…her….and question him/her about my tou-san and her/his brother." Sho made a face that said he questioned the plan. "Why would Kitazawa know anything like that…?" "Well….I…." She fumbled. Ichigo knew she made herself look dumb sometimes, but inside she was really very smart. Not dense at all, despite having Shuichi Shindou's genes. Not that her okaa-san wasn't smart, he was smart. Sometimes…it just took him awhile to get the big picture. She nodded. "She will!" she declared definitely. "Will she?" Kari intervened. "She has to…" Now the girl was just desperate. "And until then….?" Sho asked. "We act as normal as possible…You guys wanna go to the mall with me? I wamt to get a few last touches for my party and get something for okaa-san and the baby." "Sure." They both said. Kari was looking through the web as she said this. "Whatever it is…It must've been covered up really well…" She bit her lip and continued to tap away. She sighed when again her searches turned up negative.

"Nothing."

"Great.." Sho and Ichi moaned.

"I'm gonna get a cookie." Ichigo got up then picking up her black purse. "You guys want one?"

"None for me."

Her best friend raised his hand, "I'll take one."

"Is chocolate okay?" She asked, turning around and bumping into a tall guy behind her.

Sho watched as the ice-cold sodas fell from the guy's hand and drenched Ichi, plastering her hair and clothing to her. Ichigo remained catatonic for about a second until she snapped back to reality and realized the state of her top and hip-huggers. "My-my-my outfit! It's ruined!" The white baby doll tee was down a light brownish color the pink cat looking as soaked at a real one would. Her jeans were a darker shade and Ichi herself resembled that cat on her shirt with the look she took with her hair drenched with soda. "I'm a meeeesssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!" She cried, a geyser of tears starting to erupt. "I'm sorry! Terribly sorry!" The young man profusely apologized. "Oh yeah! Sorry doesn't save my outfit! Look what you've…Oh!" She hollered then stopped looking into his golden eyes…They reminded her of her tou-san's. "You have….pretty eyes." "Thanks…" He began to dry her off with some napkins. "They're not normal though. Not for Japanese." Ichigo shook her head. "Oh no…They're fine! Absolutely fine!" Her hand stretched up and put itself to his cheek. "Unique. My tou-san has eyes like yours…" "Oh…." He sounded disappointed. "They're very beautiful," She repeated.

"AHEM!" a throat cleared from behind.

Ichigo twisted sharply, slipping and was caught by the boy. From upside down she could see Sho frowning, he took her by the upper back and helped her back up. "Look she's not hurt. Thanks for catching her." He put a hand out to the amber-eyed boy's. The young man eyed him sharply. "Boyfriend?" The guy asked slyly. "What!? No! Are you on crack or something!? What makes you think she's my girlfriend!?" "Then why don't you get lost! I can handle this…" It was like the animal kingdom; one male challenging another male for the female. And Ichigo herself was stuck between them; Sho and the new male shooting each other deadly looks only men stuck with. She groaned to herself as Sho took one of her arms by the elbow, the way he always did when she needed a shoulder to cry on, and glared at the guy. "Back off, stud! Ichi doesn't like men like you! You're not her type!" "Oh, yeah! What would you know!?" "I happen to be her best friend! Pervs like you just aren't her type!" Ichigo was being tugged back and forth like she was the rope in a game on tug-o-war. "What makes you think I'm a pervert!"

"I can smell it all over you…"

"What…"

Ichigo gritted her teeth. _What the hell am I, a dog's bone!? _She had had ENOUGH!

"Let me the hell go!" She shouted tugging away from both the males.

They just stared at her as she backed towards the café door. "When did I become your favoritetoy?" By now, she was glaring not only at the nameless guy, but at her friend Sho. "What the hell has gotten into you!?" With that she fled, dashing through the door and taking off down the street, tears streaming down her face! She was thoroughly confused. The girl pushed passed mobs of people, tears still falling. She didn't like being confused! She had no control of herself when she felt this way! Ichigo kept running. She ran and she ran and ran until she reached the park. The blonde zigzagged along the paths reaching the place where her okaa-san had frequently taking her when she was young; the place she still visited. Ichigo threw herself at the rail and held on tight, her head swimming. She thought about the way Sho had acted, the way her family way, her tou-san, okaa-san, and oji-san. Her obaa-san, Mika. Still no word from her. Suddenly, she felt a vibration at her side. At her side? She frowned. No, not at her side, in her purse. Ichi hurriedly dug through it and brought out the cell phone. She looked at the number as her heart pounded:

_Aunt Mika_

Her heart then lept to her throat and she punched the green button in excitement. "Moushi moushi! Obaa-san!?" she answered excitedly. "Konichwa, Ichigo…" her obaa-san's youthful voice said. Despite being older, Mika Seguchi still sounded as young as ever. "How are you?" "I'm fine!" Ichigo answered once more. "Good. How's my kid brother?" "Tou-san…Oh…he's good. Okaa-san is going to gave another baby…" The other side of the line was quiet for a while. "Again?" "Yeah, tou-san was surprised too. I mean, after so many years…." "Tell Shuichi congratulations for me will you?" Sure, Obaa-san, I can do that!" "Good… How-how's Tohma?" "Oji-san..He's doing good!" She sighed. "Oh who am I kidding, he's a wreck without you….Please come home, Obaa-san!" Mika shook her head on the other end. "I'm sorry, Ichigo, but I cannot come home to him as long as he feels the way he does." "But, Obaa-san…" "Well, it was nice to talk to you, kid…" A sigh. "Give Eiri and Tatsuha my regards, okay?" "Okay." "Thanks. Good bye…" The phone on the other side went dead and Ichigo just stared at it before turning hers off.

Ichigo just leaned against the railing and sighed. This was the place where her parents had met… She looked down the path. It made her happy. She sighed once more. Though these memories would never me the same if she didn't put a stop to these cursed changes. _What are they hidng? What do tou-san and oji-san know that I don't? Why would they hide such a thing? Do they not want our family to be happy? _Ichi bit her lip and sat down, looking quite sad. "Okaa-san…" She thought of the new baby coming in seven months. That bundle of new life that would wiggle and squirm in her 'mama's' arms. "But he/she won't have a chance unless I do something about it. I have to make the world safe for the baby. I have to make this family safe! I'd do anything to keep my family stable!" "Miss?" came a voice. The blonde girl looked up and there stood the boy from the café… _How had he..? _"I wanted to apologize." He kneeled down. "You seemed-!" "GO AWAY!" She shouted, shedding more tears. "But…" "JUST GO AWAY! CAN'T YOU SEE I WANT TO BE LEFT ALONE?!" The boy gave a cross look and pushed off the ground.

"Fine….Bitch…."

Icigo had heard that—and it had stung—but she chose to ignore his crass comment. He didn't know what she was going through! He couldn't understand how much her heart was aching for her family..

She continued to cry.

* * *

Tohma Seguchi sat in his office, determined to put a stop to his daughter and niece's meddling. The past belonged in the past, why did they wish it to be dug up? The phone rang and he picked it up, "Moushi moushi. Yes, this is Seguchi. Oh it's you! Yes I'm the one who requested those files be burned.. Also…" He flipped through a folder. "Find a woman named Yoshiki Kitazawa, I wish to speak with her. It's urgent!" He nodded and hung up the receiver and returned to the file he was looking through. In many ways, Yoshiki looked so much like her older brother Yuki. _And to think I trusted that monster…._He sighed. No matter how many times he tried to bury it, the past seemed always to have a way of coming up at biting him in the ass. He sighed, staring at the picture of his wife he had pulled out of a drawer. "Mika-san…" He put it away again and made another call. "Yes, Kaoruko-san….You asked me to call to give a definite date for Bad Luck's farewell concert…It's May…The twenty-eigth day. That's right….What other bands? My band Nittle Grasper and Electric Shock…Yes, I think it's very generous of OVA records too…." He listened. "Yes, I think they're trying to get publicity too. I'm ready for a good fight though… Good-bye, Kaoruko-san…" He hung up the phone for the second time.

He buzzed for his secretary. "Send in Bad Luck….."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

Five Minutes Later

* * *

Tohma lifted his head and Shuichi Shindou entered the room with his two band mates in tow. His cousin Fujisaki sat to one side and the guitarist, Hiroshi Nakano, Shuichi's best friend since high school, sat on the other side. "Yes, Seguchi-san…" Shuichi spoke. "I have called you here to discuss the details of your farewell concert." "All right." He popped a cracker into his mouth to quell his queasy stomach. "But first we wait for…" "We're here, Tohma!" Noriko Ukai hollered followed by Ryuichi Sakuma. The vocalist had a funny smile on his face. "SHUICHI! This going to be SO great, isn't it!" "Yeah, Ryu-chan! AWESOME!" He pumped his fist in the air. He then turned green and shoved several more crackers into his mouth. "Shu-chan?" the other man looked concerned. "Morning sickness...." Hiro explained. Ryuichi looked out the window. "But its afternoon... how could Shuichi be having morning sickness?" "I'll explain it to you later Ryu…" Nori-chan said sitting down with Ryu-chan.

"Now, Noriko, Ryuichi." His band mates gazed at him intently. "As you know we will be one of the opening acts for Bad Luck's farewell concert…." "Who's the other?" Tohma looked over their heads and beckoned someone in with his fingers. A group of four walked in: a red-headed man, a blue-haired woman, and two others; a blond and brunet. Shuichi got up and bowed. "It's very nice to meet you." "Yo!" the red-head said, coming close enough. "Allow me to introduce myself and my band members…this lady…" He tugged on the woman's waist. "Is my girlfriend and bass player-back-up vocalist, Kaede Himura." He looked back. "The blond is Kano Ozaki…my keyboardist…the spikey raven haired one is… Izo Etsuko, my second guitarist. We are Electric Shock." "Pleasure.." Fujisaki murmured bowing as well. "It will be a delight to have you on the stage with us…" "Yeah, we hope to have a good time working with you to." Daisuke said this, but he sounded smug as he did. He wore dark sunglasses and smiled behind them, the woman'd (Kaede) head on his shoulder. Tohma Seguchi nodded. "Now, that you are all here…As I was saying….

"Nittle Grasper and Electric Shock will be the opening acts for Bad Luck, understood."

Both bands nodded.

"Good. You will both perform at least two-three song minimum. Consider the length of these songs so that you may choose them wisely…."

He spoke to his own band as the president and not as part of the band, but Noriko and Ryuichi understood just the same.

"Understood, Shacho."

"Good."

"Shindou-san…"

His eyes turned to the lead vocalist of Bad Luck.

"Yes, Seguchi-san?"

"Do you and the rest of Bad Luck have the arrangements out for your songs and apparel?"

"Almost, Seguchi-san."

"Almost?"

"Yes."

"I'll give you till the day after tomorrow, then I want those decisions."

"Yes, of course, sir!"

Tohma nodded his head briskly. "That is all. You all may leave." They started to get up. "All except you, Sakano-san…" He said not looking up from a file he was purusing. Sakano froze and grimaced. "Yes, Shacho-san!" "Sakano-san…I see that K-san did not attend this meeting.." He signed off one of the documents. "Do you have any idea where he could be?" "N-n-no, sir!" "Is that so? Hmmm..." He bit down on the pen-top lightly. "This is most perplexing…Try to find him hmmm….His presence is needed for the success of this concert, and I wish to know what was so important he skipped this meeting. Am I clear?" "Oh, yes, sir!" "Very well then. You are dismissed, Sakano-san." Sakano excited the room, leaving Tohma Seguchi to ponder some things …The fact that K had not shown up on the day of important meeting did indeed concern him, in fact it left him down-right suspicious. "Something is not right…." He murmured and reached over for his phone once more. "This is Seguchi. Please put me in contact with Orita-san…Yes, that's right, my private detective." He listened to the operator on the other end of the line. "Thank you."

* * *

**KNOCK! KNOCK!**

Yuki winced at the sound and stopped typing for a moment. "Will somebody get that!?" **KNOCK! KNOCK! **He gritted his teeth. Oh right, Shuichi was at work and so was Tohma…Ichigo had disappeared to Kami knew where….He hope to the Gods she wasn't creating trouble for herself. He slowly made his way to the front door, his hands feeling cramped. **KNOCK! KNOCK! **"I'M COMING!" he hollered, approaching the door. When he finally reached it, put a hand to the doorknob and opened it he was met with a slender magenta eyed and silver haired woman. He stared at her for awhile before he spoke. "Can I help you?" "Yes…" She tried to peer over his shoulder. "Is this…where I can find Seguchi-san?" she asked in a throaty voice that Yuki would have deemed sexy. Of course that was before he met Shuichi. "Yeah, he does come by now and then…" She looked down at this. "Oh…He's not here then…" "No." He blew out smoke over her head. "He went to work." "Oh?" She seemed to be biting her lip. "I…guess, I'll catch him there then." She turned to leaved, but as she did one of heels on her pumps broke off and her body twisted at an odd angle.

The woman cried out in pain as she was dumped to the concrete unceremoniously. "Ouch!"

Yuki looked down at her. "You okay?"

"Do I LOOK okay!?" She muttered, cursing all the while. "My dress is ruined along with my heel."

Looking concerned, he leaned down, "Here let me give you a hand…?" He reached his hand out to her grasping her at the waist with one hand and arm with the other.

"Thank you but I'll be….arghhhh." She cried out in pain.

"No, you're obviously not." He sighed; his deadline would have to wait. "Let me take a look at you-!"

"PERVERT!"

He got an annoyed look. "Not that! You've obviously sprained something…"

"Just don't go where your hands are not wanted…."

Yuki groaned. _So this is what I get for being nice…_

"Do you ever shut up?"

* * *

**Next Chapter: Kitazawa's Sister **

**A/N: TA DA! Another rousing chapter! And all in one day too! Well, tell me what you liked! Review!**


	16. Kitazawa's Sister

**A/N: Reviews! Wee! Will the boy with Yuki's eyes be seen again. We'll see. Well…let's see…how they'll handle Tohma's interference….**

**Thanks: Guren, Vera-Sama, Shos-lady, Notta Writer, ****the one who posses Insanity, puppet-cat.**

**Warning: Adult Language

* * *

**

**Chapter XIII**

Sho found Ichigo sitting on the ground next to the railing. "Ichi…" He approached her cautiously. "Ichigo, it looks like rain…Please stand up..." The girl did not move. The rain began in small droplets and Sho immediately unfolded his black umbrella and lifted it to shield his friend. "Ichigo?" She sat their for a moment, looking at the ground with her arms folded. "Sho…?" she spoke. "Yeah?" He kneeled down as the rain began to pour. "Why does life have to be so unfair? Why do people have to ruin things?" He sighed and knelt down. "I'm sorry.." "You sorry! Is that all you have to say!" "For now, yes. Ichigo, life isn't air because it wasn't meant to be, and people hurt people without thinking. Its human nature to be selfish…" She shivered visibly and he stuck his hand inside his big pocket and got up. "Come on, Ichi, its getting worse. We should head to your house where it's safe…" Ichigo nodded and got up, allowing her best friend to take her arm. Lighting flashed and she winced. She really hated thunder and lighting storms. They scared her! "I'm here, Ichi, there's no need to be afraid…" His voice was soothing.

* * *

"Tadaima!" Sho hollered from the entrance of his house.

There hadn't been much time to get Ichi to hers, as soon as they'd left the shelter of the trees, a down pour had begun. He then realized his father was at work and grinned. "Let's get you to my room where you'll be warm. You can use my blankets; I'll make us some hot tea!" He rushed off to the kitchen. Ichigo nodded she knew the way to his room. Ichigo proceeded to Sho's room, pushing open the door that said: "Beware of Perverts." She shrugged always thinking it was a strange thing to put on ones door. Then again he was a boy, so maybe it was appropriate. She walked through the haphazard room, making her way to the bed and plopped down. Sho's computer, his life line, was off (his punishment). Around the machine sat various computer programs as well as games. Her friend was very meticulous when it came to his work space so the area around the monitor was very clean. She pulled his blankets up around her shoulder and shivered. On the shelf next to his dresser were several volumes of quantum psychics. He had always been a smart kid for his age. Ichi did see something however that seemed terribley out of place.

She got up and walked over to inspect it, pulling out a book that said: The Art of Inuyasha, on it. She grinned flipping through it ravenously. So he didn't like anime huh? What a big fat liar he was! She started to giggle but was at the same time enjoying the book. Ichigo ADORED anime and anything related to it! She could hear Sho making his way to the room. She grinned deep, keeping the art book in full view. He entered caring a tray of green tea. "So…" She hefted the book. "You don't like anime, huh? What a crock!" He froze. "Where'd you find that!?" "On your bookshelf, in plain view where anybody could see it…." "Give it back!" "Nope." She lifted it high. "Why wouldn't you tell me about this! You know how happy I'd be for you…I'm sorta hurt that you thought not enough of me…that you had to lie…" She started her fake sniffles. He rolled his eyes, putting down the tea tray. "Cut the crap, Ichi…You know those tears aren't real. Now give me that book!" He reached over and snatched from her hand. "Thank you!" "Fine. Be that way…" He rolled his eyes once more. "Look, are you going to bitch me out or are we going to solve this mystery?"

"Solve the mysery."

Her cell phone rang then.

She picked it up. "Talk to me!"

_"Ichigo…"_

It was K-san. "Wow, you work fast!"

_"No, that isn't it. I found her place of residence but it seems she's not home. So I stayed there for awhile and another man dressed in a black suit approached the building. I think they were looking for her too…"_

"Ohhhh…" He paused. "Did you find out who sent them?"

_"No but I will…."_

"Good…."

The phone went dead.

Sho looked up, trouble in his eyes. "Anything wrong?" "Not sure…But I have a funny suspicion I know who sent that guy. I just want K-san to check…" "Someone is trying to get to Yoshiki Kitazawa before we do." He said then drank his tea. "But who?" She pondered this deeply. Ichigo had to wonder. Only one person seemed to want the past buried so deep they wouldn't be able to reach it… So she believed if they dug deeper, she'd find out why they wanted to keep it hidden.

_My family depends on me……

* * *

_

Unbeknownst to K, Yoshiki Kitazawa was indeed in her apartment, she'd just neglected to even answer the buzzer. She was in fact sitting on the couch near the window that over looked the street, painting her toe nails. Two strange men wanting to speak with her in one day was odd, and she had learned long ago never to open the door to strangers. And these men WERE strange! Yes, indeed, they were, though the one with the blond pony-tail seemed strangely familiar. Nevertheless, she continued to paint her nails a pretty pink color, leaning over her Capri-clad legs to blow at them. "Maybe I should call the cops…?"She peered through the window, saying out loud. "They are loitering." She raised her left foot and proceeded to paint its nails. She leaned against this arm of the couch and sighed, raising the finished product to fan that was blowing back and forth. "Maybe I should let one of them in…Then again…maybe not." Yoshiki was not sure she was feeling generous or not. These men were a pain. They kept staying outside her building, the black-suited man on the step and the other across the street watching the former man, pretending to be invisible.

She put down the bottle of nail polish and got up, walking to her kitchen. "I'm thirsty…" She pulled open the fridge door and bent over to look in. Inside sat a whole lot of tofu, chocolate pudding snacks, and a health drink. Yoshiki sighed, picking out the health drink and walked back over to one of the windows looking out. They were still there. "I wonder what they want…can't be the repot man I paid for everything…Electricity or light bill.. Naaah they look too much like corporate suits." She scratched her head and took a sip of the drink. "I'm sure I haven't done anything wrong, so what's with the goon squad…?" She walked to her bedroom in her bare feet and took another swig of health juice. She rummaged in her drawer intent to ignore the two creepy guys outside. Yoshiki put down the juice jug and pulled out a pony tail tie and place her hair in a low own, where it sat between her shoulder blades. She walked back outside and looked out the window once more. The creep in the suit was gone but the other guy with the gun holster still stood on the other side of the street like an expectant puppy. She shrugged her shoulder and turned….

Only to be found face to face with the creep in the suit from downstairs.

The jug dropped from her hand, splashing juice all over her hardwood floor.

"Hello. Kitazawa-san I presume. Please come with me…."

* * *

"Now." Yuki came to the couch with an ice-pack wrapped in a kitchen towel and gently applied it to her swollen ankle. "You're here because…."

"Seguchi-san."

"As I said, he's not here. Are you a friend of his?" He hadn't known Tohma to have any friends other than Noriko Ukai and Ryuichi Sakuma.

"You could say that."

He eyes her suspiciously. "You can stay here. Make yourself at home." He wasn't usually so nice, but he figured he couldn't kick her out. Not with that bum ankle anyhow. "I have to get back to my novel…" "Oh.." She sounded disappointed. "Wait! You didn't tell me your name." Yuki stopped and turned. "It's Yuki, Eiri Yuki." She didn't say anything for awhile. "May I call you Eiri?" "Whatever floats your boat." He said then disappeared into his study closing the door behind him. Meanwhile, the woman known as Rumiko Saori watch him do this and contemplated what she'd heard of her boss' family life. "Eiri Yuki…Seguchi-san's brother-in-law. The famous romance novelist…" She looked around, spotting a picture of him and his significant other. She'd heard Shuichi Shindou was his…spouse. She'd met Shindou-san several times, and he seemed really nice. At first, it had weirded her out to know of their relationship…but eventually she'd gotten use to it. And now she'd found it rather sweet. It was rumored in NG whatever made Yuki-san happy made Seguchi-san happy…and obviously Shuichi Shindou had made Yuki-san VERY happy. They'd been together for so long after all.

Then she thoughr back to Seguchi-san himself, the rumor's had not been quelled as well as most would like. So she had found out about the state of his marriage. Rumiko had found out how Mika Seguchi had left her husband…though the reasons were…unknown. Their president was never the same since his wife left. He'd acted like…a different person, and this troubled her. As much as he tried to throw himself into his work blindly, Tohma Seguchi could not hide his feelings. Inside he was a broken man. It more than troubled her….it downright broke her heart. "Seguchi-san…" Rumiko wanted so badly to help him ease his pain. To salvage what was left of her Shacho's heart. She knew what it was like to ache so badly, your heart felt as if it was bleeding terribly. The door opened to the study down the hall and Yuki walked out with a cup of coffee in hand and a piece of paper in the other. He passed her and entered the kitchen, not seeming to notice her presence. She watched him through the window to the kitchen, watched as he heated his water, getting it ready for his next cup. He adjusted his glasses and leaned against the counter.

"Yuki-san…"

He turned to look at her.

"What?"

"How is….Seguchi-san?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…how is his home life since…."

"Since my sister left him?"

She winced. "Yeah."

Yuki shrugged. "How should I know…he's gone back to his house…"

"Oh…"

Rumiko eyed a picture of Yuki, Shuichi and their daughter… "You're family is very…nice…" She ended for lack of a better word.

"Thanks…" He then went about completing his daily coffee ritual.

She stared at the picture in her hand as Yuki walked past with a steaming mug in hand. "I must be so nice…To have a family that's not falling apart." _Seguchi-san's is crashing down around his ears._ Rumiko eyed the picture Shuichi. It was an old one because the j-pop star still had his bubble-gum hair. Also their daughter….Ichigo was still a small kid in this one. She had her parents features: her 'mother's' eyes and her father's hair. A beautiful child. "Why can't people like us be happy too, Seguchi-san? Why are only a few chosen to lead happy lives? It doesn't seem fair…" She put the picture back in its place, smiling sadly at the more recent picture of the happy couple and their child. "I wish to help you dear Seguchi-san…Let me heal your wounds…" Tears filled her eyes. "Let the blood which pours from my own heart, be like a solvent to yours, if I may. If you will let me." She sighed, leaning back and falling asleep. That was how Yuki found her an hour later. He had heard to woman talking, suddenly realizing why she inquired after his brother-in-law as she did. "Well, well, well…" Yuki said, a small smile to his lips.

* * *

Tohma Seguchi looked up at the woman known as Yoshiki Kitazawa was brought into his office. He nodded at the detective. "Thank you, you may leave us…" The creep in the suit nodded back and left. Yoshiki glared after him then turned her eyes on the president. "So it's you…" she realized who he was. Tohma Seguchi, president of NG pro and former member of the band Nittle Grasper. "What do you want, Seguchi-san…?" She pulled her legs under her, staring intently into his eyes, not backing down. "A good question, Yoshiki-san." "And do you have an answer…?" She then leaned back, looking nonchalantly. "Maybe why you had that goon kid-nap me? I was busy you know." Tohma smiled a fake smile. "I am sorry." He flipped through his rolodex. "But I had to speak with you…." "Did you? Why after all these years?" He looked up, cerulean eyes piercing hers. "Yoshiki-san, do you recall an occurrence involving your elder brother Yuki and…" "And Eiri Uesugi?" She snorted folding up her knees under he chin. "Of course I remember! Your big brother being a slime ball's not something you forget, Seguchi-san….." She looked aside then.

"What about it? I thought that was considered…."buried"." Yoshiki made quotations as she said this word. "As I did as well…unfortunately certain parties do not wish it to stay buried." He sighed. "And as you know, I cannot allow this to take place….Eiri-san is finally healing, bringing up dead ghosts would only tear open his wounds after all these years…" "Sooo…" She was very unsure of where the man was going. "There will be another party which will seek to extract this information from you…if they do approach you, I wish you to tell them nothing…" He got out his check book and began writing out a sum. "This is how much I will pay you for your silence. To keep…Eiri-san from experiencing those feelings again." He tore out the check and slid it to her. Yoshiki leaned over and brought it to her field of vision. Her eyes widened as the generous sum. "This is how much my silence is worth…." "Every yen." She frowned. Something was not right…she couldn't be sure, but something in Tohma's words rang false. "Well….Do we have a deal?" She looked at the check again then slid it back to him. It WAS a lot of money but still…. "I'll think about it." She resigned that she wouldn't make such a major decisions so hastily.

Tohma frowned himself. "What's there to think about?" This clearly upset him. This was clearly an unexpected answer.

"Like I said, I'll think about it."

* * *

"YOU WHAT!?" Ichigo shouted.

"_I seem to have lost her…It seems she was in the building after all…The man I saw watching and waiting for her must've giving me the slip somehow…" _K explained.

"Great, just great." She muttered, dragging a hand through her hair. "I REALLY needed to talk to her, K-san."

"_And you shall! I just need to find her…again."_

"Yeah! You do that!" She punched off the phone and glared at it for a moment. "So close….yet so far."

Sho watched her from the floor of his room and sighed, picking up his own phone and dialing Kari-chan's number. "I can't use my computer…But Kari wasn't restricted from hers. Let's see what she can run down…" "Run down what!?" Ichi shrieked. "The final clue is right here! But someone's is trying to stop us! I can feel it!" She was now standing on the bed. Suddenly, something dawned on the blonde-headed girl. "WAIT!" "Huh?" "Hold on! I just had a thought!" "WOW!" "Shut up, Sho! You're not funny!" "_Hello?_" Kari Seguchi questioned. "Hold on, Kari-chan, Ichigo is brain storming, she may have something…" He looked up to his best friend. "I was thinking….Ask Kari how she found out about my tou-san and hers?" "Okay…" "No wait!" She snatched it from his hands, jumping off the bed. "Kari!" "Yes, Senpai." "When did you first learn of my tou-san and yours? How did you learn about it?" Silence at first. "Kari-chan?" "I heard them fighting….my mother and father….." A sigh. "And?" "It appears he was found in a compromising position with uncle Eiri." Another sigh. "Oh…" It was a hard thing to hear, it hurt. Her oji-san love/lusted after his own wife's brother that much!

"Questions?" She asked, tentatively. "Would there be any video footage of this assault perhaps?"

"Perhaps, I'd have to get into the security room of NG …Unfortunately, I've been restricted, remember?"

"So…we sneak in…"

"I don't know about that…What would be the purpose of the tape?"

"Perhaps, it'll give you some clue! Any clue!"

"Perhaps…" Kari conceded.

"Then we're on…."

"Yes."

"Great! Meet us down there in thirty…"

A sigh. "Will do."

Ichigo hung up the phone with a grin. "What do you hope to accomplish by this?" Sho questioned from the floor.

"I intend to save my family that's what!"

"So cliché…."

"Are you going to help me or not?" She questioned, arching an eyebrow.

He nodded. "If it means a lot to you, I'm with you, Ichi!"

* * *

**A/N: Wow! Look at me! Another chapter done! Review!**


	17. Striking Oil

**A/N: Okay I should be wrapping up this story about now…This little chase has gone on long enough…A couple more chapters to go… (okay I can't remember anymore roman numerals lol so....)**

**Thanks: Vera-Sama, Goddess of the Bishounen, seshygilr04, Notta Writer, Shos-lady, Guren, and Julia.

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**Chapter 14**

Against their parents' wishes the three spies set off towards NG Recording Company, intent on prying the surveillance video from the grips of the guard's sights. Ichigo entered first, walking on her high spike-heeled black knee-high boots and a black skirt with a white body-suit with sleeves. Ichi had to say for herself that she looked like an absolute knock-out! She was sucking on a blue sicker, staring at the layout behind her celebrity sunglasses. Her hair was in a high-ponytail and she was twirling it absent-mindedly. The blonde was doing her best at looking sophisticated and mature; someone worthy of a clerk's notice as a budding star. She strutted up to the front desk, her hips swaying and she extracted the sucker from her mouth and looked down her nose at the man behind the counter. "Yes, may I help you?" he asked. It had been the initial thing to have Sho as the diversion, but the wuss had chickened out at the last minute and insisted his best friend do it instead, whipping up the clever disguise. "Yes," She spoke placing a fake document on the table. "Sora Hina to see Seguchi-san…" The man took it, looked at her credentials at made a 'hmmming' sound. "I'll check…" She nodded stopped swirling and watched as Sho and Kari made their way to the surveillance room.

"Yes, Seguchi-san…..There's a vocalist here to see you…."

Ichigo winced but continued to wait.

She made certain it wouldn't go as far as meeting Tohma himself.

"Yes, it's a young lady by the name of……Sora Hina…."

She watched him through her fake lashes, slightly pouting her glossed lips. The girl-woman looked out of her indigo contacts, grasping the hem of her skirt and tapping the toe of one of her polished boots. She caught the stare of a man with spiky, black hair. She winked at him, feeling disgusted with herself but nonetheless, it made her fit in. The clerk finally hung up, looking serious. "Seguchi-san says he's never heard of Sora Hina before." He slid the resume back over to her. "He suggests you removed yourself immideately." Here it came; Ichi's time to turn on the act. "WHAT!?" she shrieked. "How DARE you! Do you know who I am!?" She did her best to look insulted and flustered. "Well-well…" Apparently this man was not use to having 'celebrities' yell at him. "I suggest you call your boss and talk to him again! My agent got me an appointment with him and I am NOT leaving till I see Tohma Seguchi!" "I'm sorry, Hina-san…That just isn't done.." "Isn't done! Young man, I am a star! NG should be lucky to have a vocalist such as myself on its payroll! So if they don't want such talent as mine, I'll take my business elsewhere—and the President will have no one to blame except you…"

Secretly she knew it didn't make sense, since oji-san Tohma had been certain she wasn't scheduled for a visit, but this newbie would be too concerned with his job to even notice that. "No, no, no…Hina-san! Don't be rash, I'll recheck! Perhaps the Shacho was mistaken!" He started dialing up again, trying not to get fired. She smirked. _This is too good. They don't even recognize me. I could be an assassin with a gun in my purse, and go in a pop him and they wouldn't be the wiser. Bakas! _She continued to stare as she tossed the sucker in the trash. The man spoke in furious tones to the president yet was respectful at the same time. "Yes, Shacho. I understand, Shacho, but the young woman is very insistent her manager scheduled her in for to day….." A pause; her oji-san giving his calm brisk reply. "Yes, yes…I'll send her right up. Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!" The man turned to Ichigo and nodded. "Shacho-san will see you. Second floor." "Thank you…." _Kuso! I can't see oji-san! That's not even remotely an option! I have to do something! _She saw the spike haired young man still watching her and took the opportunity.

"Hey, honey!" This was for her family.

* * *

Kari and Sho were watching the man eat a cup of ramen. "I'll take over this…hopefully; the news will not have reached his ears yet." Kari said stalking forward with quiet confidence. Sho nodded, but still had no hope of Kari's influence so he did the only thing he could…he pulled the fire-alarm. It set off loud and shrill ringing throughout the whole building setting the wholepopulation into motion. Their target, the guard, came out of the room and started heading for the stairs. Sho emerged from behind the door and Kari just gaped from her place next to him. "What did you do that for!?" She was very irritated with Nakano. "It wouldn't have worked…This seemed like an easy way to get what we want." He walked into the room. "Your way would have involved a hell lot of questions…." He immediately began scanning the tapes stacked in the shelves. "How do we know which one it is?" Kari approached the shelf looking at each one. "Well?" he queried. "I have established the days father could have been indiscreet….She took some off the shelf; she'd gathered four tapes exactly. "We will have to look through these four…"

"And?"

"And once we establish which one it is…We'll remove it from the premises, we cannot take more time than need be…."

They immediately popped the first tape in and began their search.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, and into the second tape they found the scene they wanted: a dark office with the moon shining brightly through the large windows of Tohma Seguchi's office. Two figures sprawled over the desk in a compromising position. "Bingo!" Kari murmured, ejecting it and placing the rest of the tapes back in proper order. Sho took the alleged tape and stuffed it in his backpack. He snuck out of the room and poked his head out into the hall. "Coast is clear so far…" He hurried to the stairs. "Let's go…" "Why didn't you think of the fire-alarm thing earlier..?" The younger person asked, running alongside him. "Hmmm. Good question…" "And?" "And I'll give you an answer when I think of it" He pushed open the door and started to gallop down the stair, vaulting over a railing and landing at the bottom. "Nakano, you show off!" Kari said gritting her teeth. "Haul it, Seguchi! You're too slow!" "You try running in a skirt, Nakano…" "Girls…" He sighed and poked his head out through the door. People were filing into the building once more. "We go when more people enter…So we won't look out of place." "Roger."

Sho saw Ichi waiting on the sidewalk outside, taking to some guy. His temper flared. _Who the hell is he!? _He started forward, walking towards the front door. He was a man on a mission. "Nakano..Wait!" He pushed open the door and snapped, "Hey, buddy!" The older man turned and gave him a skeptical glance. "Stay away from my girl!" Ichigo's eyes widened and the guy lurched back slightly. "And who would you be?" he sneered. "I said, she's my girl…What the hell do you think that makes me!?" Ichigo was meanwhile shooting him the deadliest eyes. She barged over and grabbed him by the ear. "Excuse us…" She said in a breathy voice to her new friend. Ichi then slammed Sho into a telephone post and hissed, "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOUE DOING!?" "OW! Ichi, that hurts!" "IT' SUPPOSED TO!?" She growled fire in her eyes. "Take it easy, Ichigo!" "Not until you stop acting like you own me! It's just creepy." "Fine…Now let go of my ear…You're hurting me." The blonde let her friend go and walked back over to the man she'd been with. She noticed her cousin off to the side, "Kari-chan, this is Izo Etsuko. He's with the band Electric Shock." She smiled at him. "He's gonna be the opening act for my okaa-san's band, isn't that SO cool?"

Kari: "Hello, Etsuko-san…"

"Please…" He smiled. "Call me Izo."

"All right…Izo-san."

"That's as far mellow as you're going to get her." Ichigo snickered. "I suggest you take Izo-san."

He nodded.

"So….You're Seguchi-san's kid huh?"

"That's right."

"Let me tell you, it'll be a privilege to play on the same stage as him and Sakuma-san."

"Hmm, that's odd. It seemed like awhile ago…You were trying to put them out of business."

"Friendly competition, kid." Izo replied giving a dismissive hand gesture. "OVA Records wanted to see our 'power'; our presence if you will…"

Kari didn't say anything further.

"Anyway, it was nice meeting you!" Ichigo beamed taking hold of his hand.

"Ichigo.."

She looked over her should at her cousin, dropping Izo's hand and started off. "Well…gotta go!" She ran off waving, Kari following her.

Sho stayed in his place against the pole and glared at the other man. "Just watch yourself…" He muttered pushing off.

* * *

Ichigo shut the door to her room and stared angrily at Sho. "That's the second time you've pulled that crap!" She snapped on her television and motioned for the tape. Sho didn't say anything; he just looked in a very pissy mood as he extracted the video from his back pack and placed it on her desk, not saying a further thing. "Play the tape, Ichigo! We don't have time for such childishness!" Kari snapped. Ichigo blew a raspberry and was about to insert the tape when…. "Do you really want to do that!?" A woman's voice asked. Ichi turned, eyes blazing. She was already ticked! Who was this!? "Who are you?" she asked coldly. "Someone who thinks you're going to make a big mistake." The woman with silver hair and magenta eyes answered. "I said who are you?" Ichigo repeated, she was in no mood for intruders. "A friend….of your tou-san's." "Oh really?" The blonde arched an eyebrow. "Yes, I came by to visit…" "And why didn't we see you?" "I was using the powder room." She grinned as she said this, closing Ichi's door and leaning against it. "You name?" Kari asked, kneeling on her cousin's bed.

"Rumiko Saori." The older woman nodded her head in greeting.

"Rumiko…Sarori…." Ichigo mumbled. "Now where I have that name?"

Rumiko sighed. "I am one of NG's labels…"

"Ah ha! So you're not a friend of my tou-san's."

"Correct. In that I have lied."

"Why? What would make you lie? Why not tell the truth?" This was Sho.

"These days…things are complicated."

She motioned to the bed. "May I sit.? My ankle hurts badly." She hobbled over and sat down.

"Baka!" Ichigo hissed. "Why would you put yourself in discomfort?!"

"Ichigo, I know you seek answers…I've been listening for awhile…But do you really need them that bad…They may hurt the very people you're trying to save…Don't you think Tohma Seguchi has suffered enough?"

"You're a friend of my fathers?" Kari voiced.

"A long time admire…" The woman corrected.

"Even when my mother was still around."

"Yes, unfortunately…"

"But do as you wish…It's your choice…"

With that, she left.

* * *

Yoshiki Kitazawa nibbled at her lip, contemplating the offer Tohma Seguchi had laid before her awhile ago. Was all that money really worth being quiet for? Then again…who were these people who wanted to know? The tabloids? For the tabloids of course she'd keep her mouth shut. The news people were prying anyway. She nibbled on a rice ball and flexed her bare toes. She then got up and began to paint her fingernails; they had been next on her list. Yoshiki began to paint them a bright red to match her toes. She smiled when she saw the glossy product of her efforts at the end. She took the spray that dried her nails fast and did so. When she was confident her nails were completely dry, she walked to her television and turned it on. The woman switched it to the music channel and there learned about Shuichi Shindou's up-coming farewell concert. She herself was excited, she'd already gotten tickets. She didn't exactly know why she had done this….but it had seemed like a good idea at the time. Yoshiki paced some more and decided that it was best that she wait awhile before accepting the man's offer. "I've just got to see who these people are."

* * *

Mika Seguchi sat on her futon in her father's home. She didn't plan to go back to Tohma; she didn't plan to go back to him at all. She'd thought she could take how he'd lusted after her younger brother…Yet she couldn't. They had a child! _How could he tomcat around when we have Kari? _She thought eyes full of sorrow and anger at the same time. There was suddenly a knock at her door. "Who is it?" she asked drying her eyes. "It's me, Onesan…" Her younger brother Tatsuha called from the other side of the door. "May I come in?" "No…" He came in anyway, closing it behind him softly. "I told you no." "And I ignored you…" "Shouldn't you be out, stalking Ryuichi…?" "Why would I have need to stalk my honey when I can go to his house freely?" "Then go…" He looked at her, studying her. "You really mean that? Look why don't you patch thing up with Seguchi-?" "It's over, Tatsuha! Now get out! Tohma's shown me how he feels!" "Mika….." "OUT!" "Fine…Maybe I will go find Ryu-chan…." He stretched. _Beats sticking around here._ "I'd better go before pop sticks me with shrine duty…."

The door closed after her younger brother and Mika just sat there with tears streaming down her face.

* * *

K approached the apartment.

_She's home…I'm sure of it this time._

He'd noticed the goons that had delivered her back to her home were Seguchi-san's personal 'valets'. _He's up to something…._ He flipped open his phone and began to dial Ichigo Uesugi's cell phone number. The former CIA agent put the device up to his ear, standing in Yoshiki Kitazawa's doorway, and listened to it ring. _"Talk to me!" _said the blonde's voice loud and clear. "Ichigo-san, it is I, K—and I have BIG NEWS!" _"That's good! Very good! Spill it!" _"Yoshiki-san is in my sights and-" _"GOOD! Now don't let her give you the slip this time!" _"Will do." _"Report back to me when you have gained access to Yoshiki-san's apartment." _"Roger." He hung up and pressed the buzzer to her apartment. He waited awhile, then… "Yeah! Do you want something!? Or are you more goons from Seguchi-san? I wanted some time to think this over!" K backed up and looked up at her. "No! You perhaps don't remember me…." "K! K-san, is that you!" _Heh, heh…She does remember me. _"So…" She hung out the window. "What are YOU doing here?" "I come on behest of young people seeking to know the past…" "Well that didn't take long…"

"Pardon?"

"It didn't take long for the other party Seguchi-san spoke of to show up. You're pretty good, K-san!"

"Yes! I am GREAT aren't I!"

"I said, good…Don't push it."

"……"

"So you've come for information concerning my brother…"

"Yes, of course!"

"Come on up…." _I'll think about telling you…

* * *

_

K met the woman at her door and entered, glancing down at her polished bare feet. "Come in…K-san…"

Kentered the small apartment and immediately brought his phone back out. "A second if you will?" He dialed Ichigo's number. "We need three more to start this party…"

"_Talk to me!" _Ichigo said like normal when she'd answered.

"I'm in. Come down here." He gave her the address.

"_We'll be down there as fast as you can say Blind Game Again…." _

K nodded and hung up his phone. "They're on their way."

"Let's hope this prying into the past is worth it…K-san."

Her eyes bore into his as she said this.

* * *

**Next Chapter: The Art of Deciding **

**A/N: DONE! FINALLY! Hope you like it! Review!**


	18. The Art of Deciding

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A/N: Hmm what will Ichi's decision be…Hmmm…**

**Thanks: Vera-Sama, Guren, evil-pillow, Shirubaa Kitsune, and Pi-chan.**

**Warning: Adult language.

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**Chapter 15**

Ichigo and the other two pulled their resources together in order to take a can to Yoshiki Kitazawa's apartment since it was obvious Tohma Seguchi's limo was off limits. They rode in the back of the cab, Ichigo staring out the wind, Sho reading a computer manual, and Kari intently watching the price of their fare go up and up on the meter. "Do you really want to know Ichigo?" Kari spoke suddenly. "Is it really all that important to know…?" "Why wouldn't it be?" "Maybe that woman was right…" "So now you agree with strangers, Kari-chan!" Ichi looked at her cousin, going all on the defensive. "She has point you know….If it hurts father or the rest of the family even deeper…Why do through with it?" "They hid it from us! It's our right to know!" "Well I'm not sure I want to know anymore…" There was a gasp, "TRAITOR!" "Ichigo…." "Stop the cab!" The man did not comply. "I said, stop the DAMN cab!" The cab screech to a stop and Ichigo through open the door and slammed it behind her, disappearing into the crowd. Kari sighed. "There she goes again…Just like her okaa-san" Sho looked up with a frustrated look. "What now?"

"We continue on to the address." She said firmly. "When the girl comes to her sense—which she will—she will come to us, she knows the way…" She instructed the cab driver to keep driving.

* * *

Yoshiki Kitazawa opened the door in her caprice and tank top, looking on at the two occupants standing outside her door. "Come in…" K stalked forward. "Where's the little devil child?" He asked placing his hands on his hips. "She threw a hissy fit halfway here and jumped out of the cab." Sho explained sauntering in, hands shoved down deep in his pockets. "As usual." Kari sighed. "When will that girl learn?" K-san murmured. "I swear, she's getting more like Shuichi everyday…Her emotions are uncontrollable." "Exactly." Kari agreed, taking a seat on Yoshiki's couch. "Well?" This came from the great manager. "Well what?" the young Nakano asked reclining. "Go GET her!" The older man ordered, pulling out his gun and cocking the trigger. It was pointed at Sho. The old methods never died when K was concerned. Sho rolled his eyes. The trigger happy man walked over and pressed the muzzle to the 16 year olds' head. "Now." His voice was deadly. "K-san, there's no need for that. We have time. Give the baka time to think it over, she will come back." He reluctantly de-cocked the trigger and grumbled to himself. Sho breathed a sigh of relief.

"For your sake, let's hope so."

* * *

Ichigo found herself in a nearby video store buying a hell load of anime and Pocky. After she'd been done with that purchase she dragged herself to a nearby ice cream shop and began to gorge herself silly. When she gorged it seemed to quell her jumbled emotions, sealing them with a layer of delicious hot fudge. She spooned vanilla ice cream topped with hot fudge and an enormous amount of nuts into her mouth. Her heart clenched tight; but she couldn't quite tell why. "Well hello…didn't think I'd see you so soon." Ichigo looked upon chocolate on her lips. It was the guy with the eyes the same as her tou-san. They were sparkling with warmth and mischief in the afternoon sunlight. "May I?' He indicated the vacant seat across from her. "Sure, do whatever you want…" The blonde spooned another mouthful of ice cream in, surreptitiously looking at the boy through her lashes. He was fair-skinned with dark brown hair, almost black that look smashing with his amber-eyes. He was perfect, she thought. The boy smiled at her as if he knew she was looking at him. She jerked back. "You know it's not polite to stare…" He flashed a dazzling smile once more, increasing the wattage.

She turned to mush at that smile. "By the way, my name is Asai…Seiya Asai..." The way he said it was so smooth—smooth and confidant. "Why do you want to talk to me? You called me a bitch." His eyes widened. "Did I? Hmmm…no wasn't me." Ichigo gaped. How could that creep tell a boldfaced lie like that? "Must've been my twin brother…" "You're lying right?" "Yep! Made you feel better didn't it?" A smile was tweaking at the corners of her lips. "Yeah…" "Good…Wouldn't want to ruin my rep...Making girls cry is not my style. Making them smile…." A sly smile. "Now that's another thing." "You mean being a sleeze-ball…." "Ouch!" He slapped a hand to his chest, feigning fake pain. "You're a real killer aren't you?" He grinned a wolfish grin. "I love a challenge." "Would you also like your teeth shoved down the back of your throat?" She was mood-swinging majorly today. At first she'd been gushing all over him, now she was becoming threatening with him. She was tired of boy's trying to put the moves on her. Ichi shoved more ice cream past her lips and ignored him. "Did I do something wrong?" Asai asked. "Besides being a guy…

"Of course not!" She scoffed getting up, "What could YOU have possibly done wrong!"

Secretly she knew this was wrong, getting pissed of at Seiya Asai when what was happening to her wasn't his fault, but she was just too mad to think straight. She'd gone from sad and frustrated to angry. "Look..." he took her by the shoulder. "If I can do anything to make it up to you; whatever I did….Just name it." He inserted. "It's not your fault, Asai, and none of your business." She scrambled to pick up her packages, dropping a couple boxes of Pocky to the floor. The blonde sighed frustrately. "Maybe I'm MAKING it my business; I don't like to see a pretty girl in distress." He stooped to retrieve the treat and hand it to her. "And the name's Seiya. Please remember it." She took it and started to mellow down leaving the ice cream parlor. "I'm sorry…" She said half a block away, knowing he was following her. Seiya shrugged and came up next to her. "No problem…You must've had something very harsh happen to you for you to be like that." "But I had no right to take it out on you, Asai." "Seiya." He corrected. "Yeah, Seiya…" Ichigo sighed. "I'm sorry." "No sweat." "I just have some really harsh things going on in my family…."

She heard him smile as he spoke coming up next to her, "I said it's cool. At first…" He shook his head. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For calling you a bitch. I shouldn't have. I didn't know the circumstances behind your pain."

"I was acting like bitch…"

He shrugged, amber-eyes flashing in the sun. "All people have their off days. Did you know I've been called much worse than what I called you?" He laughed bringing his arms up behind his head.

Ichigo looked at him. He wasn't you would call a nice guy….but he wasn't a perv like Yamamoto either. He was _His sexy eyes aren't bad either…_ "I know, so girls have been telling me." She jerked looking at him. "My eyes…" He explained. "Girls comment about them all the time. They're my best feature." "Yes, they are. They're very beautiful." "Thank you…And may I say yours aren't bad either." He whistled after saying this. Ichigo blushed as she laughed. "Thanks." "Only one other person I know has that…Well I don't KNOW him personally but he has eyes like yours, or should I say you have eyes like his. He's gotta be thirty something now." "Who?" She asked knowing damn well whom he was speaking of. "Shuichi Shindou." "Oh! Yes…..my eyes are amethyst like his aren't they?" She laughed. Indeed they were. If only this guy knew who her parents were. "What's so funny?" He asked. "Nothing." She smiled brightly. She felt better, a whole lot better! She could go see Yoshiki-san now!" Ichi started to run. "HEY! Where are you going!?" The blonde turned to smile at the handsome amber-eyed boy who was still caring her things.

"To make a decision!"

She laughed at this and hurried on her way, leaving poor Seiya dumbfounded.

* * *

Tohma Seguchi had waited for fifteen minutes and still no Sora Hina. Then the fire alarm had gone off without warning. When he'd come back to his office he'd learned it had been a false alarm. "Hmmm. Some how I knew…" He called down to the front desk and asked for a complete description of the young lady who'd claimed to be with NG. It was just as he'd thought. She'd been blonde with a short skirt, body-suit, and lollypop. "Blonde you say? Did she have purple eyes?" he asked gently. _"No, Shacho-san, I didn't see her eyes. She was wearing sunglasses." _"Sunglasses you say." _"Yes, sir." _"Were they green frames with black stripes?" _"Yes, yes, sir! How did you know?" _"I believe I know who are mystery woman was…Thank you." He hung up the phone with a smile, making a steeple with his fingers. "So my niece has been here has she…?" He closed his eyes in thought. _What could she possibly be after? _He pondered this in solitude. _My files will her no information.. I have burned those transcripts that would be of use to her along time ago… Unless…. _His cerulean orbs snapped open. "Surveillance."

Tohma hurriedly picked up the phone and called Sakano-san into his office. When he was done he waited.

* * *

The bespectacled man entered his office looking quite worried. "Yes, S-Seguchi-san…."

"Sakano-san, I wish for you to have the guard in the surveillance room check all the tapes…check to see if one is missing. I want you to personally oversee this…. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Good. You may leave…"

* * *

An hour later, the phone rang in his office and the president quickly picked it up. "Yes?" _"Seguchi-san…" _"Yes, Sakano-san." _"There does appear to be a tape missing…." _Tohma sighed. "I thought as much. Very well. Thank you, Sakano-san." _"You're welcome, sir. Anything else, Shacho-san?" _"No, that will be all." He heard the producer of Bad Luck hang up his end of phone. He sighed. "So they've taken _the tape_." He swiveled around in his office chair and stared out the huge picture window. "Hana-chan….What do you hope to gain from this tape?" Pain was in his voice. "Aren't things better left alone?" Tears entered his eyes. He then began to think of his dear wife. "Mika-san…" He murmured a sob in his throat. He continued to let out his tears. He then thought of what had driven her to leaving him _Eiri-san… Why did I do it?! _He held the place where his heart was. It ached so. His phone rang again. He dried his tears and calmly turned around to pick up the phone. "Yes, this is Seguchi." It was his detective. He listened carefully…The man was saying something about visitor's as Yoshiki-san's residence. "Oh, really?" He had not asked the man to stay on but…

"Job well done. I will personally look into this myself..."

Tohma hung up the phone and got up, heading out of his office. He had to stop Ichigo. The girl just didn't know what she was prying into!

* * *

Ichigo ran and ran till she finally made it to her destination. When she reached Kitazawa's apartment building she was out of breath. She had spent all her money on anime and sweets so…Damn it! She'd left those with that boy! She cursed but rang the bell. "How could I have been so stupid!?" She muttered and waited for the person to buzz her in. "I don't even know where he lives!" Ichi began to mentally kick herself over and over again. "Yes, who is it?" She stepped out from under the porch and looked up at a woman. "Tell K-san the Strawberry has arrived!" "Oh, you must be who we're waiting for!" The lady disappeared back into the apartment and the buzzer buzzed her in a second later. Ichigo hurried up the stairs to the third floor and was greeted on the landing by the same woman in her bare feet. "Konichiwa! You must be Ichigo-san, ne?" "Yes…And you must be Yoshiki-san?" Yoshiki nodded. "Correct! Come in!" She grabbed Ichi's arm and dragged the poor blonde girl into her apartment beaming all the while. "You are late…" K said from his place against the wall.

"Yeah...well…I got ….caught up…" He folded her arms. "But I'm here now so let's get down to business!"

"I never said I'd tell you kiddos anything." Yoshiki announced.

"You're kidding!" Ichigo yelled.

"Nope. I'm still not sure whether to keep quiet or not about this whole situation."

"But I have to know!?"

_Do I?_

"Do you? Is it really that necessary?"

"Stop stalling!" The frustrated girl hollered again.

_Maybe the truth is better not known._

"Am I?"

"YES!"

Suddenly a bullet shot between them and embedded itself in the opposite wall. The two females froze and turned to look at the man who hid his blue eyes behind dark shades.

"Was that ENTIRELY necessary, K-SAN!" Ichigo shrieked.

"It got your attention didn't it?"

"Yeah! Not to mention almost made me wet my pants thank you very much!" She looked irate. "WHY ARE YOU BAD LUCK'S MANAGER AGAIN!?"

These were the times she didn't like K. When he was being a smart ass and a psycho American waving around his guns as if it were nothing! "Because I am the greatest!" "Ha ha! That's funny, K." She looked peeved once more then thoughtful… _Is it really worth it? _Rumiko-san's and Yoshiki-san's words sounded so alike... She had to wonder would her knowing really be that important? Did she absolutely NEED to know? Or would the knowing destroy her family instead of save it? _But I must know! Or do I have to? _Her brain was battling. _Don't you want to know why obaa-san Mika left? _She shook her head mentally. _Not if it means destroying the family I wish to protect. _A pause. _Who are you protecting? Your oji-san…_Another pause_. Him? Yes.. And my parents—and the baby too. _It indeed was a battle; a battle within herself. She could faintly here someone trying to talk to her… "Ichi…Ichigo, are you there?" Sho was right in front of her, waving his hand in front of her face. "Hello?" She came back to her senses. "Sho?" "No, it's Hiroshi Nakano the guitarist from Bad Luck." "Very funny, Nakano….You're killing me over here."

"Either me…or K will shoot you for real."

"Good point."

"You all right?"

"Yeah, just having an argument with myself."

"Must be fun."

She sighed. "Yeah, it's a hoot!"

It was as if it was only them in the room.

Kari cleared her throat.

Ichigo snapped to attention, looking to her cousin with focused eyes. "It's all up to you, Ichigo. Do you want to know this or not?" Her voiced was calming.

The blonde looked around at the people surrounding her. It was indeed up to her. Did she really need to know?

"Little Blossom…." A soft voice breathed.

She turned a spotted her oji-san Tohma standing in the door. "How did you?" Yoshiki murmured incredulously.

"Very easily when you leave your door wide open, Yoshiki-san…"

Tohma entered the room, gauging his niece with determined eyes, his famous black hat tipped back on his head. The rest of him dressed immaculately in black with a stunning red dress shirt underneath. "Ichigo….please consider this…I pray that you consider others you might hurt when you re-dig up the buried past." He sounded and looked so serious. "Why do you want it to stay buried, Oji-san!?" she cried out. "Why do you want to find out so much that you'd threaten the stability of this family?" His voice became icy. Her eyes and her voice trembled. He scared her when he was this way. She'd heard of her oji-san being manipulative and frightening, but this was the first time she'd seen it in real life. "If I do make a decision…It will be my own!" He nodded. "Let's hope you choose wisely…" "Stop bullying me! I can make my own decisions!" Her oji-san jumped slightly. "Then I'll leave you to make your decision…" And with that Tohma Seguchi left as quickly as he had come. Ichigo watched after where he had left through the open doorway then stared down at the floor. "Yes, it is my decision and I will make it…."

With that, Ichigo left as well.

It was too much pressure to make a decision with all these people here.

She didn't need Yoshiki's answer anymore though.

* * *

Ichigo walked through the park where her parents had met, the answer in her heart. She knew which road she would take. Truth was she couldn't hurt her family even if it meant finding out what she wanted to know. "I don't have to find out….It's not really necessary….My family is what is important, not some damn memory from the past!" She knuckled the tears out of her eyes. It seemed she was crying a lot these days. "In this way can I save the ones I love." She smiled through her tears. "Is that so?" A soft voice said behind her and she knew who that voice belonged to. It was the same voice she'd talk to ten minutes ago. This time it was not angry, it was soft and gentle. In saving her family though…She couldn't help but feel she'd helped her oji-san accomplish what he wanted. Yet to Ichigo, somehow that didn't matter anymore. "Yes. The past doesn't matter. You are right. My family is what matters. I was being selfish…" She turned saying this. Tohma looked just as sad as she felt and her heart contracted quite painfully. Sheding tears of happiness and sadness all at once, she rushed to her dear beloved, oji-san, letting herself be enveloped in his warm comforting embrace.

It was here she'd always felt safe.

Her oji-san was her family as well after all.

"I'm sorry, Oji-san."

He held her tighter. "I forgive you, Little Blossom…"

* * *

**Next Chapter: Farewell Fans!**

**A/N: Done so fast you're thinking! I know. But that's cool! The other took awhile anyway.

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	19. Intermission 3: Computer Whiz

**A/N: Okay one person commented how I didn't have a bio for Sho….So I'm going to grant her what she desires…..

* * *

**

**Computer Whiz**

Name: Sho Nakano

Age: 16

Sex: Male

Eye Color: Blue

Hair Color: Reddish-brown

Weight: 135

Height: 5'5

Marital Status: Single

Friend(s): Ichigo & Kari

Parent(s): Hiroshi and Ayaka Nakano

Sibling(s): None.

Uncle(s): Shuichi Shindou and Eiri Yuki

Pet(s): None

Favorite Color: Green

Favorite Food: Ramen

Favorite Music: J-rock

Books: Computer manuals

Best at: Computers

Likes: Computers (seeing a pattern are we)

Dislikes: Snotty people

Quote: "I AM a genius after all."

**Bio: Like Kari-chan, Sho is the only son of Hiroshi Nakano and Ayaka Usami. He himself shares his father's traits of being very intelligent but contributes his fascination with computer animation to his best friend Ichigo's constant love of anime. He prides himself on being a good friend to Ichigo and makes her laugh because of his humor. He hopes to work in the computer field, hoping someone will appreciate such intellect.

* * *

**

A/N: Okay Yay! I did it wan't too hard.


	20. Farewell Fans!

**A/N: WOO HOO! Last to final chapter….. And about chapter 15…remind me never the mess with chapter arrangements again. shakes head Well hope you enjoy this one!**

**Thanks: ****Vera-Sama, Notta Writer, seshygirl04, Guren, Hoshi-Hiru, **

**Warning: Adult language and (lol) excessive smiling.

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**Chapter 16**

Ichigo arrived home in time for dinner, watching smoke billow out of the kitchen. Shuichi wa fanning it with a magazine while Yuki looked on irritated. "You're late! Where have you been!?" Her tou-san snapped. "Sorry, Tou-san... I went to meet…Some friends." "Friends, huh? Well while you were seeing _friends_ you okaa-san was attempting to burn down our house." "Yuki, that is SO NOT true!" The raven haired man huffed sounding insulted. "Could of fooled me, baka-chan…" He said with a smile to his lips then disappeared into his study once more. Her okaa-san kept fanning at the black billowing smoke. Ichi coughed as she neared the acrid place and took her parent by the arm tugging him away. "Okaa-chan…Why don't you go rest in your music studio while I deal with this, kay?" Shuichi smiled and took his child into his arms. "Kay, Ichi-honey….." He then retreated upstairs and Ichigo inspected the kitchen as he did this. The air was still acrid with black smoke that made her cough. Yet other than that, not much damage had been done. She turned the exhaust fan on over the stove and began to clean the mess her okaa-san had made.

_He sure can be a pain sometimes…But I can see why tou-san loves him. _She laughed out loud at the expression he gave when Yuki always told him how much his cooking skills sucked.

* * *

Dinner was ready an hour later and Ichigo dutifully set the table humming as she did so. Her family would be all right. The baby would be born without strife in the family. _I helped oji-san Tohma keep his secret…and I got no closer and bringing Mika-san back. _She sighed at this depressing thought. _Obaa-san, please come back. He's sorry—and he misses you. _"Tou-san! Okaa-san! Dinner!" she called out through the house, setting the last place setting. She then thought about the silver haired woman. Was she still here, she hadn't seen her? The blonde girl bit her lip and watched as her parents came out of their rooms. Shuichi's eye widened at the meal before him. "Wow! Ichigo, you really out did yourself, honey!" "Yeah, guess I did." Seeing her okaa-san's beautiful happy expression warmed her heart entirely. "Didn't she, Yuki?" He asked, elbowing his partner. "Mmmm." Her other parent sat down along with Shuichi. Ichi sat down next and watched as her parents began to consume her meal.

_The concert tomorrow night is going to so rock!

* * *

_

"Hey, Ichigo!" Keiko hollered, her long black hair trailing behind her as she ran towards her, Nene following her.

"Hey, Girls!" She grinned wide, waving her hand enthusiastically.

"Ichi, are you ready for the concert tonight?" Nene asked, smiling.

"Is Ryuichi Sakuma's best friend Tohma Seguchi?"

"I take that as a yes."

"Hell yeah…"

* * *

School

* * *

"Oi! Shindou! Haven't seen your fine ass in a while!?"

Ichigo froze in her place. Damn it, didn't he have anything better to do!? It was like a daily ritual for him to sexually harass her everyday. He slunk towards her and she watched him with sharp eyes. "Ichigo?" Keiko voiced. "Go ahead; I'll take care of this perv." "But, Ichi…" "Get to school, I don't want you two be late!" The two hesitated for a second then ran for the school. "Cocky aren't you, Shindou?" "I SAID…" She focused a high kick towards his chest. He jumped back. "MY. NAME. IS. NOT. SHINDOU!" Cursing, she then aimed another kick at the side of his head. He moved again, slipping past her and coming up beside her grabbing her arm and harshly twisting it behind her back. He pressed her against the school wall. "Listen you stupid bitch!" he snarled. "You've been making me look real stupid!" His hand crept towards her skirt. She struggled and threw her head back, smacking the back of her head against his forehead as a last resort.

He cried out in pain and that was when Ichi drove her elbow into his solarplexus, knocking the wind out of him before delivering a kick to his groin at his most vulnerable moment.

"You…." He fell to his knees. "You bitch! I'm going to…"

"What!?" a voice hissed. "What are you going to do, punk!"

Ichigo snapped her head up, brushing blonde hair out of her eyes.

Standing in front of her in the gorgeous sunlight was the boy with the amber eyes. Seiya Asai. "Seiya?" Her eyes widen. "What the hell are you doing here?" "Passing by and heard something going on," he shrugged. "I just happened to come along on you." Seiya walked forward and boot his foot to the other boy's back, knocking him down further. He set the boot on Naka's back and pressed heard. Her knight leaned over with hands in his pockets. "Who the hell are you?" Yamamoto hissed. "That's not important. The question is WHO the HELL do you think YOU are?" "Seiya's face took on a crude look. "Why don't you take your ass out of here, before I get mad?" He took his foot off the boy's back and glared at him, walking over towards the girl from the other day. "Hey." "You didn't need to do that…" He studied her. "But thanks anyway…At least someone has class." The amber-eyed boy looked to the other boy on the ground. "Do yourself a favor, dumbass, and hit the bricks!" "Who the hell..." Her "savior" shot Yamamoto an evil look, one worthy of Ichi's adoration. "I said GET LOST!"

Naka Yamamoto grumbled and cursed as he got off the ground and rushed off.

When he was gone, Sieya looked to Ichigo. "Do you deal with that shit everyday?"

"Yeah…" She sighed. "But he's never gotten this…serious. I was scared for a moment. Thanks for showing up."

"No problem. Just helping a damsel in distress."

"Is that all?"

She shook her head then and granted him one of her beautiful smiles. He smiled back. "I never caught your name."

"I guess…that's because I never threw it."

Seiya snickered at the joke.

"Sorry that was lame."

"No…That's all right." He eyed her waiting.

"Uesugi. My name is Ichigo Uesugi."

"Ichigo…means Strawberry. Nice." He was grinning wickedly. Yet, again it was not perverted. She found Seiya way too cool to be perverted.

"Yeah….my mom's idea."

The two of them stood there for a moment.

"Look, Strawberry…Would you like to go out with me?"

"As in on a date?!" She was smiling too like he was.

"Yeah. A date."

"I'll have to think about that…" At his stunned expression she burst out laughing. "I'm just kidding…" She paused. "Tell you what…" Ichigo began to rummage in her back pack for something. Seiya watched her as she pulled out a small piece of paper that looked to be a ticket of some sort. Smiling with her amethyst eyes this time, she offered it to him. "Come to my okaa-san's concert okay?" He took it and read it. His eyes widened. "Your…parent is THE Shuichi Shindou of Bad Luck." "Yup…" Seiya had heard that the rock star had a child with his partner, Japanese novelist Eiri Yuki, but he'd thought such an occurrence was just a rumor. "Cool." He grinned. "I'll be there. Wouldn't miss your birthday for the world?" And with that the boy left just a quickly as he had come. _How in the world doe he know, if he didn't even…? _To say the least she was stunned and grateful. She would keep giving her assessment of him as it stood. He was ultimately cool with a slight badass attitude. Seiya was incredibly good-looking and his amber eyes were intoxicating. "Hmm..." She started towards school. "I wonder what our children would look like." She grinned at this.

* * *

Lunch

* * *

Ichigo approached her friends with a smile to her face. She didn't have any worries about Naka Yamamoto approaching her anymore. Upon entering the school she'd immediately went to the principle's office and reported him as a case of sexual harassment. She hadn't done it before, but that was because she'd thought she could handle herself. Ichi finally resigned that she could not, the perv was getting way too aggressive for her to handle any longer. She shook her head mentally and sat down with her friends. "So…Ichi…are you going to tell us what happened?" Nene asked, scarfing down her food. "Something good." (1) Her two friends gave her blank looks. "Wait a minute and back the car up…Naka Yamamoto was involved and it was something good?" Keiko questioned. "No, no…" She was grinning maddeningly. "It was AFTER Yamamoto…" "What was after Yamamoto?" "Something good." Ichi laughed as she repeated this. "Yeah, but what?" She kept silent. "Ichi, c'mon tell us! This is big!" Keiko whined. "Okay, okay…" Her eyes focused on their faces. "I had Yamamoto down when…" They held their breaths. "This gorgeous guy showed up."

"Gorgeous guy?" Nene queried. "How gorgeous?"

"What guy?" This was Keiko.

"Well, I've met him before…"

"How gorgeous?"

"Very gorgeous." She took a bit of her sushi.

Nene: "You met before? Where?"

"Ice cream shop."

She ate another bite.

"Oooooo…."

Ichigo continued to eat.

"And?"

"And I invited him to the concert?"

"You what?!"

"I had a extra tickets anyway. Plus I can't turn down a guy with such sexy amber eyes, can I?"

She giggled while her friends just looked on. At this moment she was neither Shuichi nor Yuki, but all teenage girl.

It was good to be young.

* * *

Concert

* * *

Ichigo watched with rapt fascination backstage in the large dressing room as the members of Bad Luck got ready for the farewell concert. _Oji-san _Hiro was tuning his guitar; Suguru Fujisaki was meanwhile sitting down and watching the silhouette behind the screen that was her okaa-san. "It can't take you this long can it?" Fujisaki muttered looking bored. "I need to look good." Shuichi shouted over the top of the screen. "So look good, just don't take so long doing it." He muttered next. "Ease up, Fujisaki-san.." Ichigo murmured cheerfully, pirouetting around in her black skirt and strawberry crop top. Her janglely earrings clanged like tiny wind-chimes. "Half of the artist's presentation is his stage outfit. Okaa-san's gotta look good." "Beside…" Hiro picked at his guitar a bit more. "I think I heard Nittle Grasper and Electric Shock heading for the stage anyhow." He looked to Shuichi's silhouette then Fujisaki. "We have time." "Ichi-honey!?" "Yeah, Okaa-san!" she said in a sing-song voice. "Hand me that choker, okay?" The girl's eyes searched around and spotted what her parent called a choker it was a thin, leather-belt-like collar with a small black shiny S on it. Ichigo knew for a fact this had been given to her okaa-san by her tou-san as a birthday present.

She picked it up and craned her hand around the screen as her _mama _had insisted. "This is ridiculous you know."

"I don't want you to see me yet…"

"Okay…"

"Now, I want you to go back into the audience and talk to be with your friends. You're missing the opening acts, honey…"

Ichigo picked up her denim jacket up and shrugged it on. "Okay, okay…I'm going."

* * *

"ICHIGO! OVER HERE!"

Ichigo made her way over, pushing through the crowd, listening to Nittle Grasper's Ryuichi Sakuma belting out a song known as _Shining Collection_. She finally made it to Keiko and Nene's side. "Made it!" She hollered. "How's your okaa-san!?" Nene hollered back. "He's great! But he wouldn't allow me to see his outfit! "Too bad!" "Yeah!" Her friends' grins deepened. "What're you two smiling for?!" "Ichi! We have a surprise for you! Guess who showed up!" They parted, revealing Seiya Asai dressed in dark blue jeans and baggy gray shirt and black leather jacket. He was smiling, the strobe light dancing in his amber eyes. "SEIYA! You're here!" "What's shaking, Strawberry-girl!?" He spoke getting closer to her. "Nothing much. How do you like the concert so far!?" She asked, turning her gaze towards her okaa-san's friend, Ryuichi. "Isn't Sakuma-san great!?" "Oh yeah! Thanks for inviting me!" "No problem! Excuse me…" She turned toward the stage and pumped her fist in the pair, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "GO RYUICHI" "I LOVE YOU, RYU!" another girl hollered after her. Ichigo cast a glance at Seiya and noticed he was watching her, smiling.

_He IS beautiful…_ She grinned at him. _Could this night get any better? _

"Good evening, Tokyo!" Shuichi Shindou hollered as the spotlight hit him. "I am Shuichi Shindou and we are Bad Luck!"

Two other spot lights hit Hiro and Fujisaki.

The crowd went wild, screaming at the top of their lungs.

"Welcome to Bad Luck's Farwell Concert!"

The crowd screamed again.

Yet all Ichigo could do was watch her okaa-san with pride. He was wearing tight black jeans and a dark violet shirt, covered with a black duster. He was wearing black fingerless gloves gripped around the microphone and his choker, amethyst eyes shining through the canopy of black bangs. She smiled some more and suddenly felt an arm come around her shoulders. Ichi was startled at first but then realized it as the warm embrace of her tou-san she looked up at him and smiled. Seiya to say the least looked startled. "Seiya! I'd like you to meet my tou-san…Eiri Yuki!" He gave a relieved grin and held out his hand to the older man. "Please to meet you, sir!" Yuki look at his daughter then looked at the amber-eyed boy. "So you're my daughter's new boyfriend I'm guessing?" He eyed the extended hand. "Tou-san…" The blonde girl blushed deeply. "Not yet." Seiya winked boldly at Ichigo. "But I'm hoping!" "Really?" The stoic novelist arched his eyebrow. He was impressed. _The boy's got guts….Just what my little girl needs. _"Yes, sir." The young man flashed a devilishly smile. "Shhhh!" came a hush from the three girls.

"Okaa-san's talking, Tou-san." Ichigo scolded. "You should know better."

Shuichi was walking across the stage saying, "I'd like to open the concert with a new song of mine, written especially for this occasion. It's called_ Sparkling_…a duet with my good friend Ryuichi Sakuma." Ryuichi came onto the stage once more; red head band lifting his brown bangs out of his blue eyes. He lifted his arm and waved at the crowd, microphone in his other hand. "I'd like to dedicate _Sparkling _to my baby girl…" Ichigo groaned. "…Ichigo Hana for her sixteenth birthday!" She shook her head, tear entering her eyes. "Yo, guys! Can we drop a spotlight on her!?" It was no sooner said then done. A white light cloaked her and the cameras focused on her. She shielded her eyes and smiled in the camera crew's direction. "That's my little girl! Give her a big round of applause, folks! Today she turns sweet sixteen!" The audience around her clapped loudly and Ichigo turned toward them. She wasn't embarrassed at all anymore. Today was her day after all... Ichi laughed. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" She blew kisses to the camera. Shuichi laughed seeing the attention his daughter was getting.

"Okay, Ichi-honey, you camera hog!"

She laughed at her okaa-san's words. "SORRY, OKAA-SAN! TAKE IT FROM HERE!"

He nodded. "And now…" He looked to Ryuichi. "…without further ado…._Sparkling_!"

Ichigo watched as her _mama _began to sing, feeling her tou-san's arms envelop her once more and listening to her friend's scream. "Happy Birthday, Hana-chan…" A soft voice said. She beamed happily and caught sight of her oji-san. He came up next to her and her tou-san. "Thanks, Oji-san!" He smiled kindly. "Now…" Yuki turned towards Seiya who'd been watching the three intently. "…as I was saying…." "Tou-san no…" "It's for your own good, girl." "Oh is this a new friend…?" Tohma inquired crowding the boy. "Yeah, a potential boyfriend…." "Potential? Really? I find that most interesting, don't you, Eiri-san…?" The blond smirked. "For once I couldn't agree with you more, Tohma." "Quite." He looked to the amber-eyed boy. "What is your name?" "Asai. Seiya Asai." A cool stare. "Well, Seiya…You take good care of our Ichigo, will you? She's very precious to us. Isn't that right, Eiri-san?" "Extremely precious." Yuki agreed. "So...You take good care of her…" The Shacho of NG looked to his brother-in-law. "And we won't have to come after you ass. Got it?" The protective father finished. Ichigo stared at the two men eyes wide and completely and utterly astounded.

"Understood." Seiya's gaze didn't waver from theirs, but the girl could've sworn she saw and heard him gulp.

Meanwhile the crowd continued the scream and cheer, oblivious to everything. And while Ichigo should have felt like dying right then and there…She took the moment for what it was worth and smiled, looking to the stage.

Yes, tonight was definitely perfect.

* * *

**Next Chapter: Epilogue**

**(1) "Something good." (look familar, that's because her okaa-san says it after his "night" with Yuki lol) Just thought I'd add some Shuichiness in. lol **

**A/N: WELL I LIKED THAT! Yes I'm shouting… How did you like it? Please review, okay!? Appreciate it!**


	21. Epilogue

**A/N: Time for the baby! YAY! Last chapter!**

**Thanks: ****double kodachi, seshygirl04, ****Zage Illuster the Stamped, Novaitica Nightshadow, Vera-Sama, Crazi 4 Grasper, Shirubaa Kitsune,

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**Epilogue**

(Seven Months Later)

"You want to name her what?!" Yuki asked, looking at Shuichi weirdly.

"Usagi…."

"Meaning rabbit?"

"Yeah, Yuki. Bunny rabbit!" He was ever cheerful, making bunny ears on the top of his head.

His lover groaned.

"Or…" He gave the novelist a playful grin. "We could name her Candy?"

"Candy?"

"Yeah, it's an American name! Isn't it great!?"

_No, not really…_ "It's the stupidest idea you've come up with."

"Oh really? Then we stick with Usagi…You like that better hmmm?"

"Yes."

"All right…" He examined his new born baby girl. "Usagi Shindou-Uesugi it is!"

Shuichi looked to the other baby in Yuki's arm. "And the boy…"

"Is going to be named by me. I won't have you naming my son something stupid."

"How about Kiyoshi?"

Yuki looked over. "Kiyoshi?"

"Yeah."

The novelist narrowed his eyes in concentration. "I like it. Strangely, I like it." He nodded firmly. "Kiyoshi will be the boy's name."

"And I can call him Kyo for short."

Yuki gave his _spouse_ an irritated look.

"It was just a suggestion. Stop giving me those frozen looks…Geez!"

**KNOCK KNOCK!**

"Is it okay to come in?" Hiroshi and Ichigo poked there head into the room.

"Of course! Ichi-honey, come meet your baby brother and sister!"

His voice was excited.

Ichigo made her way into the room, followed by Hiroshi Nakano, Sho, Kari, and Tohma Seguchi. They entered the room, looking to Yuki then to Shuichi. "There are two of tem!?" Ichi asked eyes wide. "Yeah…" Yuki replied. "Who would have thought?" Tohma voiced. "TWINS!" Their big sister looked between them. "Which one should I look at first?" "Why not look your little brother?" Yuki suggested. "But Yuki…Usagi was born first…" "So?" "So that means Kiyoshi was born second." The novelist looked…stunned. "Kiyoshi is the younger one. Usagi should be seen first!" What he said was quite reasonable. Ichigo scampered over to her okaa-san's bed and Yuki followed. "Here. You can look at them both." He leaned over to deposit his son in his lover's arms. Shuichi shifted the baby girl in his arms and made room for the boy. "Aren't they just precious?" "Define precious." "YUKI!" "They are our children. They're anything we want them to be, Shu-chan" "Yuki…" The novelist had sat down on the right side of the bed and was pressed close to the vocalist. Their daughter scooted closer to them, taking in the babies nestled in her okaa-san's arms.

"They are so cute!'

She looked up into Shuichi's eyes. "May I hold one of them?"

The vocalist looked undecided. "I don't know, Ichigo…They've just been born. They need my warmth and comfort."

"Oh….okay..."

She instead opted at gazing them with her tou-san while the other's looked on as well, Sho looking over his best friend's shoulder. "I think the girl looks like you, Shuichi." Hiro said with a grin. "She does?" He examined his child again. "Yeah, when Ichigo was born she looked like Yuki-san….this one resembles you." "What about Kiyoshi…" "Can't tell." Shuichi smiled. "It really doesn't matter who they look like…They're ours….and we're a family." He snuggled against the blond. Ichigo did the same and Yuki threw his arm around her shoulders, bringing her close to him. "Yes, yes we are…" Yuki murmured, leaning against the head board. "Congratulations, Shindou-san. Your children are beautiful." "Yes they are." "Just like okaa-san…" Ichigo said with a laugh. "Since when was Shuichi classified as beautiful…?" This came from the novelist. "HEY!" "Cool your jets, Baka-chan…" He snorted. "You know I don't mean it…" "Yeah…he loves you too much…" "No comment." Shuichi and Ichi burst out laughing at Yuki's attempt at being stoic once again.

* * *

From out in the hall, near the nurse's station, Rumiko Saori watched Tohma Seguchi crowd close to his family. He was smiling and didn't seem to be hurting too badly anymore. _He has a family who loves him._ She thought. _His family is healing his heart. I cannot interfere nor compare with that…But I am happy for Shacho-san. _She smiled sadly brushing silver hair out of her weeping eyes.

* * *

"Hey, Yuki!"

"What?"

"Are you sure?"

Ichigo looked at her okaa-san strangely. "Sure of what, Okaa-san?"

Shuichi looked Yuki directly in the eye.

"Are you sure we can't name her Candy?"

The blonde just gave the _mother_ of his children in the deadliest stare he could.

And Ichigo just laughed at this sight.

**THE END

* * *

**

**A/N: Okay, I'd like to thank all who took the time to read my story. I tank you for reviewing and enjoying. You all made this story a success and possible. **

**Questions: **

**Which original character of mine did you like the best? Then tell me what you liked about them.**

**How did you like my portrayal of the original Gravitation chars (Tohma, Yuki, Shuichi, etc.) **


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